Star reveals idol chatter
Serena’s US Open whispers revealed
FIVE days after her historic US Open victory, Naomi Osaka has told the truth behind her podium encounter with childhood idol, Serena Williams.
Osaka, 20, became the first Japanese-born Grand Slam champion on Saturday, with a stunning victory over the former World No.1.
The rising tennis star’s win was sadly overshadowed by a firestorm of controversy after Williams confronted chair umpire Carlos Ramos and was slapped with three code violations.
After taking out the match in straight sets, 6-2 6-4, Osaka and Williams appeared together for the trophy ceremony, during which audible boos erupted from the crowd.
In a raw moment, the 23time Grand Slam singles winner reached over to comfort her young opponent and whisper something in her ear.
Osaka was noticeably teary during the ceremony and at one point pulled her visor down over her eyes. On Wednesday, she used an appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to shed some light on what was said during the encounter..
“She said that she was proud of me and that I should know that the crowd wasn’t booing at me,” Osaka told DeGeneres of the emotional moment between rivals.
“At the time, I did … think that they were booing at me. I couldn’t tell what was going on, because it was just so loud in there. It was a little bit stressful.”
Reflecting on her incredible victory, Osaka said she always believed she had a chance to beat Williams.
“I wouldn’t play a match without thinking I had a chance,” she told DeGeneres. “The back of my mind, I thought so.”
Osaka also commented on her rival’s on-court outburst, saying she was trying to remain focused while Williams accused Ramos of making “a sexist remark” and demanded an apology.
“When you’re little, you’re taught not to look at, like, if your opponent gets angry or anything,” Osaka said.
“You’re told to just turn around and try to focus, so I tried to do that, but in my mind I was sort of — like I really wanted to know what was going on.”
She continued, “I couldn’t hear and I was looking away, but I heard a lot of people in the crowd making noises, and I really wanted to turn around, but I didn’t.”
Osaka is already on Adidas’s payroll, however is only reportedly making a “six-figure” salary that will expire this year.
If the monster contract goes through, it would be the biggest deal the apparel giant has ever given to a female tennis player and could propel Osaka up the ranks on Forbes’ 2018 list of highest paid female athletes, which Williams currently leads.
In 2010, tennis star Maria Sharapova made history by signing the most lucrative female sports contract ever with Nike — a 10-year contract worth an estimated $97.6 million.
‘I couldn’t hear and I was looking away, but I heard a lot of people in the crowd making noises, and I really wanted to turn around, but I didn’t.’ NAOMI OSAKA ON SERENA WILLIAMS’ ON- COURT OUTBURST