Australian Open 2021 Women's Final Schedule, Prediction and Prize Money

Naomi Osaka has established herself as one of the top women's tennis players in the world in recent years. Now, the 23-year-old will have another opportunity to add to her rapidly growing list of career accolades at the Australian Open on Saturday.

Osaka will be looking to win her fourth Grand Slam championship when she takes on Jennifer Brady in the final of this year's Australian Open, which Osaka previously won in 2019. Her two other previous major tournament victories came at the U.S. Open, winning it in 2018 and 2020.

This will be Brady's first appearance in the finals of a major tournament. She reached the semifinals of last year's U.S. Open, which was the first time she had made it past the fourth round of a major tournament.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into Saturday's women's final.

2021 Australian Open Women's Final Information

Start Time: Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 a.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN+

Prize Money: The winner will earn approximately $2.13 million, while the runner-up will receive approximately $1.16 million (per Tom Naghten of Sporting News).

Preview, Prediction

During her run to this year's Australian Open final, the No. 3-seeded Osaka hasn't been challenged much. She's lost only one set over her first six matches, which came at the beginning of her fourth-round matchup against No. 14-seeded Garbine Muguruza. Osaka went on to win 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Entering Saturday's final, Osaka is coming off her best performance of the tournament. She made quick work of No. 10-seeded Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, in the semifinals, defeating her in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

"For me, I have this mentality that people don't remember the runners-up. You might, but the winner's name is the one that's engraved," Osaka said, according to Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. "I think I fight the hardest in the finals. I think that's where you sort of set yourself apart."

Brady emerged from the top half of the women's bracket without having to face No. 1-seeded Ashleigh Barty, who was upset by No. 25-seeded Karolina Muchova in three sets in the quarterfinals. Brady and Muchova then played a competitive matchup in the semifinals, but Brady won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

That was only the second time that Brady has lost a set at this year's Australian Open. She dropped the opening set of her match against fellow American Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals, but she bounced back for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Now, Brady only needs to win two more sets to earn the biggest victory of her tennis career thus far.

"Listen, I don't know how I'm going to feel on Saturday. I can say I can enjoy the moment and just try to play tennis and not really think too much about it," Brady said, per Fendrich. "But there's going to be moments, there's going to be games, there's going to be points, where I'm going to be thinking about, 'Wow, this could be my first Grand Slam title.'"

It's going to be tough, though, considering Osaka has won every major tournament in which she's reached at least the quarterfinals. Osaka also owns a 2-1 career record against Brady, winning the last two times they've gone head-to-head (with the loss coming back in 2014).

Osaka beat Brady in the semifinals of last year's U.S. Open, rallying for a 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-3 victory. They'll again be facing off on a hard court in Saturday's Australian Open final.

However, Osaka is continuing to get better, and she's becoming even more difficult to beat, especially in these late stages of Grand Slam tournaments. And since play resumed last summer, Osaka has won 20 consecutive matches, the longest win streak of her career, according to ESPN's Manoj Bhagavatula.

It may have been a competitive match the last time Osaka and Brady played, but that won't be the case this time. Osaka will continue her recent dominant stretch and build off the momentum from her huge win over Williams to defeat Brady in straight sets to capture this year's Australian Open title.

Prediction: Osaka wins in straight sets