Who defeated Serena Williams in the 2021 Australian Open semifinals?

Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams in the 2021 Australian Open semifinals. Osaka won the match 6–3, 6–4 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena to reach the final.

The semifinal was a highly anticipated meeting between four-time major champion Osaka and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams. Osaka made the stronger start, building an early advantage and using powerful serving and groundstrokes to pressure Williams. Williams fought back in the second set, but Osaka maintained enough control to finish in straight sets.

Osaka then defeated Jennifer Brady 6–4, 6–3 in the final, claiming her second Australian Open title and fourth Grand Slam singles championship. A common mix-up is to associate the 2021 semifinal with Ashleigh Barty, who was the tournament’s top seed but lost to Karolína Muchová in the quarterfinals.