South African Open (tennis) 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Eric Sturgess, who won eleven titles between 1939 and 1957 and lost a further final in 1947 to Eustace Fannin. He also holds the overall record for the most consecutive titles won – seven between 1948 and 1954. Five players share the record for the most male wins at the tournament in the Open Era – Rod Laver (1969, 1970), Jimmy Connors (1973, 1974), Harold Solomon (1975, 1976), Vitas Gerulaitis (1981, 1982) and Aaron Krickstein (1992, 1993). The most successful female player at the South African Championships – played from 1891
2018 US Open – Women's Singles final Grand Slam women's singles final (the second Japanese able-bodied player overall after Kei Nishikori at the 2014 US Open, and fourth player overall after Nishikori, Yui Kamiji and Shingo Kunieda), and was attempting to become the first able-bodied Japanese player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam singles title. Osaka's personal admiration for Williams as a primary inspiration for her tennis career was a focal point of the media's interest in her rise. Upon defeating Maria Sharapova in her successful 2018 Indian Wells campaign, Osaka quipped, "There are three people I wanted to play, Venus, [Sharapova] and Serena. Now