Naomi Osaka & Coco Gauff give lesson on humility. Facing each other at the U.S. Open, Osaka came out on top. But, that’s not what everyone is talking about.
Coco Gauff Burst On The Tennis Scene At The Age Of 13
Cori “Coco” Gauff burst on the tennis scene at the age of 13, when reaching the final at the junior US Open in just her fourth ITF event.
Making her WTA debut in March of this year, at the Miami Open, Gauff stunned all when she won her opening match. Receiving a wild card into the qualifying draw at Wimbledon, she became the youngest player to qualify for the main draw in the tournament’s history.
Picking up steam, she generated a lot of buzz after upsetting Venus Williams in the first round…and in straight sets. Crediting her idols, Venus and Serena Williams, Gauff says they are the reason she picked up a tennis racket in the first place. Any time Coco was on the court, her matches were the most-watched of the day.
Naomi Osaka Represents Japan, Though She was Raised in the USA since she was 3 Years Old
Born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother, Naomi Osaka represents Japan. However, she was raised in the United States since she was 3 years old.
She is the reigning champion in women’s singles at the US Open and the Australian Open. She is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. Winning three titles and reaching five finals on the WTA Tour, she came to prominence at the age of 16 at her WTA tour debut, according to Wikipedia.
Naomi Osaka vs. Coco Gauff
Now 15 years old, all eyes were on Coco, as she was set to play the world #1 and defending champion, 21-year old Naomi Osaka.
Largely rooting for CoCo, the crowd was witnessing the first time Gauff had playing a Grand Slam Tournament on the giant Arthur Ashe Court. But, that didn’t sway Naomi’s game one bit. Osaka stayed focused and ended up the winner in straight matches, 6-3, 6-0 in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open.
But it was what happened after the match that has everyone talking. Right after the match, Naomi Osaka walked over to Coco Gauff, shook her hand and embraced her. Right away, the tears started flowing. First from Coco. Encouraged by Naomi to join her for the on-court interview, Coco, while still wiping away her tears, was asked ‘What did Naomi say to you?’
Click on the photo above for video
“Naomi asked me to do the on-court interview with her and I said no, because I knew I was going to cry the whole time, but she encouraged me to do it…It was amazing. She did amazing and I’m going to learn a lot from this match. She’s been so sweet to me.” – Coco Gauff
What a moment, as described by The Undefeated, it was so raw, so genuine, so vulnerable and sweet. Then Osaka, too, began to choke up as she made a point to praise Gauff’s parents, Candi and Corey –
“You guys raised an amazing player…I remember I used to see you guys — I don’t wanna cry — I remember I used to see you guys training in the same place as us. For me, the fact that both of us made it, and we’re both still working as hard as we can, I think it’s incredible. I think you guys are amazing, and I think, Coco, you’re amazing.” – Naomi Osaka
‘Black Girl Magic’ was on full display here ya’ll, and I was loving it.