Tennis Stars Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka Share The Classiest Moment At The US Open
Young phenom Coco Gauff is learning what it is to be a class act from mentor Naomi Osaka
Coco Gauff is only 15 years old and already making tons of fans as she competes at the highest level of women’s tennis.
She faced another young, up and coming superstar, Naomi Osaka at the US Open Saturday.
Osaka won handily 6-3, 6-0 in the third round.
It was an emotional moment.
Gauff said, “She was crying, she won. I was crying. Everybody was crying!”
Gauff said she wanted to get off the court and give Osaka her moment, but Osaka insisted the 15-year-old stick around and do the post-match interview with her.
Watch this.
It’s about class.
About one young woman supporting another.
About the beauty of what sports makes possible.
Since I’m on the feels beat tonight — this was wonderful between Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka pic.twitter.com/8ly8AhTJ7h
— Mark Armstrong (@ArmstrongABC11) September 1, 2019
The BBC reports that Osaka later explained her thinking at a news conference.
“I was just thinking it would be nice for her to address the people that came and watched her play. They were cheering for her.”
Gauff said she wasn’t expecting to have that opportunity and is so grateful.
“I’m glad that I was able to experience that moment,” she said. “I’m glad the crowd was kind of helping me and her.
“For me a definition of an athlete is someone who treats you as their worst enemy on the court but after they treat you like you’re their best friend. That’s what she did.”
