Osaka also reached the final of the Western & Southern Open, which was held at Flushing Meadows this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to withdraw against Azarenka due to an injury.
This will be her first appearance at the tournament since she was ousted in the second round in 2017.
Reactions to Novak Djokovic winning his 20th Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon
Norma Godinho has just about caught her breath after all the action at SW19 on Super Sunday. Here are Norma's memorable moments from this year's Wimbledon.
Images from Day 5 of the 2021 US Open in New York on Friday.
Stephens used her powerful game to the full in the first set, hitting winners almost at will, but Halep then stepped up a gear and went on to win 3-6, 6-4 6-1.
Djokovic continues to lead ATP Rankings
Halep withdraws from Western & Southern Open with injury.
French Open runner-up Simona Halep was awarded a wildcard entry to feature at the Aegon International in Eastbourne next week, organisers said on Thursday.
Karolina Pliskova overcame a slow start before beating Garbie Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) in her opening match at the WTA Finals. In a contest between two former No. 1-ranked players, the third-seeded Pliskova struggled early adjusting to the nearly 5,000-feet altitude of Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city on Wednesday.
Following Iga Swiatek's victory over Coco Gauff in the final, here's a list of French Open women's singles champions:
Simona Halep begins her Australian Open campaign against Kaia Kanepi on Tuesday in a rematch of their U.S. Open meeting which the world number one lost in straights sets.
Serena displayed great mobility to win successive points after long rallies -- one of 21 shots, one of 13 -- and secure what proved to be a decisive break of serve.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the US Open played at Flushing Meadows in New York on Tuesday.
Simona Halep produced a flawless performance to beat Serena Williams in last year's final but this week's cancellation of the grasscourt Grand Slam means she will not get to defend her title this summer.
Petra Martic kept her composure to advance to the Round of 16
Novak Djokovic will begin his Australian Open title defence against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, while reigning women's champion Sofia Kenin meets wild card Maddison Inglis, following the draw for the year's first Grand Slam on Friday.
This year's Australian Open will be allowed to admit up to 30,000 fans a day, around 50% of usual capacity, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dowse said that the women's competition will see 10 former Grand Slam champions, including 23-time major winner Serena Williams, along with 81 of the top 100. In the men's event, seven of the world top ten are competing.
World number one Simona Halep has twice been left heartbroken in her quest for Grand Slam glory in Paris. Yet even now, standing just two wins away from redemption, she says she feels no pressure.
Simona Halep did something no one else was able to do against Serena Williams at the US Open on Wednesday but still could not stop the world number one from advancing to the semi-finals of the year's final Grand Slam.
Tennis great Serena Williams limped out of Wimbledon in tears on Tuesday after her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown ended in injury.
A look at the top women's contenders at the 2020 French Open.
Murky skies and drizzle could not dampen the enthusiasm of spectators arriving on Monday
Images from Tuesday's action at the Australian Open.
Serena Williams faces her first seeded opponent at the French Open on Thursday and will hope to use her booming serve to beat Australian Ashleigh Barty in the second round.
Former world number one Serena Williams returns to Grand Slam action for the first time in over 15 months, when she goes up against Czech Kristyna Pliskova in the French Open first round.
Defending champion Simona Halep was knocked out of the French Open 6-2, 6-4 by 17-year-old American Amanda Anisimova in a quarter-final shock.
The 27-year-old Romanian beat Sloane Stephens at Roland Garros to win her maiden Grand Slam title in June and will have spent 40 weeks at the top of the rankings by the end of the season.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the USTA would take "extraordinary precautions" to protect players, including robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated accommodation.
The 20-year-old Ostapenko was the first unseeded woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since Britain's Margaret Scriven in 1933.
Osaka said her dominance in the rematch showed how much better she had become at sticking to a plan rather than relying on her instincts.
Halep sustained the injury last month while training for the Wuhan Open, where she lost in the second round. She then retired midway through her opener in Shanghai.
'I'm very privileged to be in the second week of Wimbledon again. This is genuinely one of my favourite weeks of the year so to be prolonging my stay is a lot of fun but I'm looking forward to the challenge.'
The Serbian had to save two set points in the first set before finding his groove to reach his 10th title clash in Rome and remain on course to win his 36th ATP Masters 1000 crown and overtake Rafael Nadal on the all-time list.
To the clear delight of the fans, however, Djokovic then bounded onto the court after his practice partner had won the first set and proceeded to wrap up a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Italian teenager.
The 20-year-old, looking to become the first unseeded woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since 1933, blazed her way to the final, hitting winners and errors with reckless abandon.
World number one Novak Djokovic turned the page on his contentious US Open exit and began his claycourt season with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory over wildcard Salvatore Caruso in the second round of the Italian Open.
The veteran American set up a showdown with Romanian former world number one Simona Halep in Saturday's final.
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