Serena comforts sobbing Osaka, defends her victory before booing US Open crowd.
It was an astonishing, hard-fought — and painfully bittersweet — struggle for rising tennis star Naomi Osaka to nail a long-dreamed-of victory against her idol, Serena Williams, on Saturday. After Williams’ emotional blow-up over controversial penalties in the match, the women stood side-by-side and helped each other through the fallout of the match.
The 20-year-old ace trounced Williams 6-2,6-4 in her upset victory in the U. S. Open. She became the first Japanese Grand Slam champion.
But Osaka’s accomplishment was marred by controversial penalties against Williams, 37, who became increasingly upset with umpire Carlos Ramos, saying again and again: “It’s not fair, it’s not fair.” She complained that women are held to a higher standard of comportment on the court than men. Osaka later expressed regret for what happened.
As the trophy ceremony began and the crowd booed, Williams moved to the sobbing Osaka and put an arm around her shoulder, eventually drawing a smile from her young rival.
“She played well and this is her first Grand Slam,” Williams told the crowd. “Let’s make this the best moment we can, we’ll get through it. Let’s give everyone credit where credit’s due. Let’s not boo anymore. We’re going to get through this. Let’s stay positive. Congratulations, Naomi. No more booing!”
Osaka told the audience: “I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this. It was always my dream to play Serena in the U. S. Open finals so I’m really glad I was able to do that.”
A tearful Osaka, who has idolized Williams for years, said later at a post-match press conference: “When I step on the court, I’m not a Serena fan.
