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Naomi Osaka had earned the right to remain alone in triumph, to celebrate her passage to the fourth round of the US Open after giving teenage sensation Coco Gauff a powerful example of clutch play and that that it takes to be a champion. I did not feel good under the applause when she knew that Gauff was crying in the locker room.
They had kissed the net after Osaka's masterful decision 6-3, 6-0, and it was a delightfully touching scene. If they had left it there, if Gauff had packed his bags and left the stadium at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Osaka had conducted the usual television interviews on TV, it would have been enough to confirm The acute empathy of Osaka and The 15-year-old Gauff's respect for his elders and declaring that the future of tennis is particularly brilliant because it rests on the snowshoes of these youngsters incandescent talents.
But that was not enough for Osaka. Obeying his instinct and his heart, Osaka approached Gauff with an unusual request.
Stay here and share the interview with me, Osaka asked. Rooted fans for you deserve to hear how you feel. They will not know unless you tell them now. "I wanted her to keep her head up and not leave the yard with sadness," Osaka said. Gauff, holding back his tears but determined not to cry in public, said no. She said it more than once. As she explained later, she did not want anyone to think she was stealing the glory of Osaka. Faced with these arguments, Osaka used his most persuasive reasoning.
"She told me it was better than crying in the shower," Gauff said with a small smile. "After the match, I think she just proved she's a real athlete. For me, the definition of an athlete is someone who, on the ground, treats you as your worst enemy, but off the field may be your best friend. I think that's what she did tonight.
Osaka had tears in her eyes when she greeted Gauff's parents, Corey and Candi. The Gauff and Osaka families had often seen each other at a training center in Delray Beach, Florida, where Coco became one of the most promising players in the sport and where Osaka honed the skills that her had conducted under the US Open last year. No. 1 in the world rankings. It was almost unfathomable for Osaka to see each other again there.
"The fact that we both succeeded and we were still working as hard as we can, I think it's amazing," Osaka said as he watched Gauff's parents. "You raised an incredible player."
Gauff is incredibly good. But on Saturday, she saw closely what it takes to win a single Slam tournament, a feat, Osaka, 21, has already achieved two goals and should succeed several times.
Their first series included five service breaks, including three in Osaka. Gauff's ground cover was amazing and his ability to retrieve and dismiss the seemingly safe winners fueled the screams of the crowd for the long-legged newcomer. Osaka's advantage was his ability to remain composed at the most crucial moment.
Leading 5-3, she lost the first two points of the next match and was then warned for lack of time for taking too long to serve. Osaka showed no emotion. She did not sulk, did not talk to the chair umpire. She won the next four points to win the match and the set – and followed by breaking Gauff's serve to win the first game in the second set.
Osaka then escaped three points to maintain a 2-0 lead in the second set and again broke Gauff's service for a 3-0 win. Gauff undermined her own cause by committing seven double faults that interrupted her momentum, but even if she had served better, she would not have beaten Osaka that night.
Osaka, who spent part of her childhood in New York and sometimes practiced on the grounds of the National Tennis Center Billie Jean King, said she had never considered Gauff's youth on Saturday. "I feel that even when you play against younger players, it's more of a challenge because they're fighting. I do not mean that, but they could fight harder. They want this tournament to be declared, or whatever, "said Osaka, who hit 24 winners and made 17 unforced errors. "For me, I did not stop telling me to keep fighting. Literally, that's what I said during the match. I did not stop saying, "Fighting, fighting."
This is the best lesson Gauff can learn from this: to fight relentlessly. She had already learned that Osaka was right to urge her to stay on the ground. Gauff was glad she was lingering, but she still sorted out all her emotions. "I'm still a little sad because it's still pretty new," said Gauff, who must team up with Caty McNally in a double Sunday match. "I think tomorrow I will really cherish this experience. I hope that next year I will be able to play again on Ashe. "
Osaka will then meet No. 13 Belinda Bencic, who beat her in three of her four career games, including Indian Wells and Madrid this year. "I'm just waiting for a fight," Osaka said. She is used to that. We could all get used to the kindness and support she and Gauff showed on Saturday by turning a tennis match into a life lesson.
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