Osaka and Gauff educate a lesson in humility and sportsmanship
D’Arcy MaineESPN
After her newest Cinderella run got here to a crashing halt in 65 devastating minutes, Coco Gauff walked to her chair on the sideline at Arthur Ashe Stadium and desperately tried to not cry in entrance of 23,000 followers. For the primary time in a summer time filled with firsts, she seemed her 15 years. The tears began streaming down her face, irrespective of how laborious she had tried to suppress them. She had misplaced within the third spherical on the US Open, after two spectacular wins to begin the event and an earlier fourth-round look at Wimbledon, and her disappointment was painfully clear.
Then, seemingly and not using a second of hesitation, Naomi Osaka, the very girl who had handed her a 6-Three, 6-Zero loss Saturday night time, came visiting to console her and inform her it was all proper to cry — higher to do it on the court docket than alone within the bathe within the locker room. It was one thing Osaka stated she knew from expertise.
Osaka, who had simply gained the match in convincing style, then insisted Gauff be part of her postmatch on-court interview, usually reserved for less than the profitable participant. The 2 shiny younger stars had been each overcome with feelings as they talked to ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez. The gang was captivated, seemingly frozen of their seats by what they had been seeing.
“She did wonderful, and I’ll study rather a lot from this match,” a still-tearful Gauff stated, earlier than turning to have a look at Osaka. “She’s been so candy to me, so thanks for this. Thanks.”
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Six years older, and with two Grand Slam titles and 139 rating spots separating them, Osaka is simply 21 herself. However in that second, she seemed very a lot the seasoned veteran. She had stayed centered regardless of two days of nonstop hype forward of the match. Now she appeared stuffed with nothing however compassion as she answered Fernandez’s query about being a mentor.
She looked for Gauff’s mother and father within the crowd whereas her voice broke in emotion and her eyes stuffed with tears. “I keep in mind I used to see you guys coaching in the identical place as us, and, for me, the truth that each of us made it, and we’re each nonetheless working as laborious as we will, it is unbelievable. I feel you guys are wonderful, and Coco, I feel you are wonderful.”
It was a lovely second, and the tears had been not contained to the court docket. There weren’t many dry eyes left within the stadium by the point Osaka and Gauff walked off the court docket.
In some ways, regardless of the fully completely different circumstances, it seemed remarkably just like when Osaka had been comforted by Serena Williams following the controversial US Open remaining on the identical court docket only a yr earlier. After all in that case, Osaka had been each the victor and the consoled as the group loudly booed the ultimate outcomes on account of their displeasure with penalties assigned to Williams all through the second set. Williams, herself distraught, was the one attempting to cheer up Osaka. Though she by no means referenced the 2018 championship match Saturday night time, it might be laborious to assume that second did not depart an impression on her.
“It was type of instinctive as a result of after I shook her hand, I noticed that she was type of tearing up a bit and it jogged my memory how younger she was,” Osaka stated later. “For me, I simply considered what I wished her to really feel leaving the court docket. I wished her to have her head excessive, not stroll off the court docket unhappy. I would like her to remember that she’s achieved a lot, and she or he’s nonetheless so younger.”
After 48 hours of incessant hype for the third-round conflict between the defending champion and the teenage phenom, the match itself frankly wasn’t all that memorable. Osaka took the primary three video games in solely 10 minutes and held on when Gauff began to struggle again. Osaka gained the primary set, then blanked her younger opponent within the second for a signature, assertion victory. Osaka had 5 aces on the night time and dominated in nearly each statistical class.
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Naomi Osaka defeats Coco Gauff 6-Three, 6-Zero to advance to the US Open spherical of 16.
After back-to-back Grand Slam titles in New York and Australia, Osaka has struggled prior to now a number of months. She fired her coach quickly after her victory in Melbourne, after which misplaced within the third spherical on the French Open. After shedding her opener at Wimbledon, she left her information convention on the All England Membership in tears. She admitted to not being joyful in a Twitter submit in July, and in current weeks has stated she was lastly having fun with being on the court docket once more. Maybe it was all these frustrations that made her perceive precisely what Gauff was feeling in that very second.
Osaka has talked overtly about not having many mates on tour and her struggles within the locker room at occasions. However it’s clear she hopes rising gamers have a special expertise. In typical Osaka style, she did not need to make an enormous deal out of her actions throughout her information convention later within the night, however Gauff did not maintain again in what it meant to her.
“I feel she actually confirmed sportsmanship tonight,” Gauff stated. “I imply, I wasn’t anticipating it. I am glad that I used to be capable of expertise that second. I am glad the group was type of serving to me and her.
“After the match, I feel she simply proved that she’s a real athlete. For me, the definition of an athlete is somebody who on the court docket treats you want your worst enemy however off the court docket will be your greatest buddy. I feel that is what she did tonight.”
And because of this, an evening missing in drama was an evening that will not quickly be forgotten. Osaka’s spontaneous act of kindness, and Gauff’s heat reception to it, was extra exceptional than any lengthy rally or blistering serve.
An evening after Daniil Medvedev’s seen obscenity directed towards the group in his eventful match, and an hour or so earlier than Nick Kyrgios would use obscenities in his newest argument with an umpire, Osaka and Gauff confirmed us there was nonetheless very a lot a spot for sportsmanship in tennis, and past.