‘Shy’ Osaka deserves her moment in spotlight
WHILE the fallout from Serena Williams’s on-court meltdown continued yesterday morning, her conqueror Naomi Osaka was standing in an elegant white dress on the observation deck of New York’s Rockefeller Centre, and posing for photographers with the US Open trophy.
It must have been a bitter-sweet feeling to dream about beating Williams in a major final for your whole life, and then to find that the crowd erupted in boos when you stepped up on to the podium to receive your prize.
Osaka had to pull her cap down over her face to hide her tears, as Williams – who was also crying – put an arm around her shoulders and said: “I don’t want to be rude. I just want to tell you guys that she played well and this is her first grand slam.
“Let’s make this the best moment we can, let’s not boo any more.”
Although she plays under the rising-sun flag, Osaka – whose father Francois comes from Haiti – spent much of her childhood in the US and is not seen as a native Japanese through and through.
Yet her understated manner is in keeping with that culture, as is her natural politeness. In this unusual situation, she found herself apologising to the crowd for having beaten their favourite.
Later, in the interview room, she wept again when she was asked why she had felt the need to do that. “Your question is making me emotional,” she said.
“Because I know that she really wanted to have the 24th grand slam, right? Everyone knows this. It’s on the commercials, it’s everywhere.
“When I step onto the court, I feel like a different person. I’m not a Serena fan. I’m just a tennis player playing another tennis player. But then when I hugged her at the net, I felt like a little kid again.”
The win was an extraordinary feat from a 20-year-old who has long been seen as potentially the finest player of her generation.
Osaka dropped just a single set during her run to the trophy — in her fourth-round meeting with Aryna Sabalenka — and her combination of athleticism and easy power was reminiscent of a young Williams.
But while it will take some time for everyone to digest Saturday’s events, the bottom line is that Osaka is a magnificent player.
She should shortly be a very rich one as well, given the wealth of the Japanese market and there is so much to admire about this new face on the grand-slam scene.
Once the fuss over Williams dies down, Osaka’s US Open victory will be recognised as the magnificent achievement it is. (© Daily Telegraph, London)