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Coco Gauff, age 15 and participating in her first singles tournament in the United States, is absolutely right.
What makes Naomi Osaka so special is her ability to stop and play tennis without mercy, then, once the handshake is over, zoom out and let humanity grasp the whole thing. .
It's a rare and attractive combination. And it was presented at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night, while Osaka, the world's No. 1, played one of his most interesting and focused games to surprise Gauff, the last prodigy of the sport, 6- 3, 6-0. Osaka, herself only 21 years old, immediately put herself in her young opponent's sneakers, helping her turn a negative into a positive.
"For me, the definition of an athlete is someone who on the ground treats you as your worst enemy but off the pitch can be your best friend," Gauff said later. "I think that's what she's done tonight."
According to the epigrams of tennis, Gauff's definition of an athlete might deserve a place among "pressure is a privilege" or "if you can meet Triumph and Disaster and treat these two impostors in the same way".
In the case of Osaka, she had to deal with the aftermath of two highly publicized and emotional triumphs at Ashe Stadium in the past year.
She did not treat them the same way. A year ago, she lowered her visor to cover her eyes and her tears rang out at the award ceremony at the awards ceremony, after she defeated Serena Williams and won the title Open The final was ugly, but it was not his fault when Williams clashed with the president's referee, Carlos Ramos.
On Saturday night, Osaka became fully aware of the poignant intensity of a very different situation, persuading Gauff to share the post-match interview on the court after the third round match, so that the teenager could face his disappointment and speak directly to the thousands of fans present. showed him so much support.
Both players ended up crying, while Osaka was upset as she turned to Gauff's parents in the bleachers.
"You raised an incredible player," said Osaka, struggling to keep her calm. "I remember that I had the habit of seeing your guys training in the same place as us, and for me the fact that we both succeeded and we were still working as hard as we could, I think it's amazing. I think you're great, and I think, Coco, you're awesome. "
After being deprived of In his last win in last year's final, Osaka made the most of it on many levels.
"Sport does not create character, they reveal it," Stefanos Tsitsipas on Twitter, the young Greek star, watched a video of the Osaka and Gauff field interviews.
Empathy reigned, not just after the match.
Osaka said she was torn apart before it began, when she saw Gauff hugging his father, Corey, in the hallway that leads to the yard.
Osaka said that she thought, "Oh my God, do not do this to me before the game."
She was returning to the days when she and Gauff had practiced in the same academy, ProWorld Tennis – at Delray Beach, Florida, hometown of Gauff. Osaka also thought of his relationship with his own father, Leonard, who was also instrumental in helping to develop his talent and succeed against all odds.
Gauff has indeed been on the right track: the quarter-finals of the US Open Junior tournament in 2018 in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019, and now the third round of the US Open, a month later. His great potential is obvious, although there is still a lot of work to be done on his forehand and his second serve, as well as on many pitfalls to avoid with the large sums of money and distractions that are spinning.
Maybe she should have more discussions with Osaka, who had to grow up in the spotlight, even though the spotlight found her later.
Gauff seems to have more maturity at 15 than Osaka at 15, more comfortable in the whirlwind, more able to articulate complex emotions and certainly more able to compete with his elders.
Osaka did not have his first win on the WTA circuit before he turned 16 and did not reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament until he was 20 years old. But Osaka has also come a long way in a relatively short period of time.
In 2016, at Ashe Stadium, Osaka lost a 5-1 lead in the third set against Madison Keys in the third round, crying on the field as she lost, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 ( 3).
But although it was incoherent number 1 in 2019, Osaka continues to demonstrate a remarkable ability to face the greatest opportunities. She played superbly in the tumult of Williams last year, then played a series of tense matches to win the Australian Open in January, then controlled Gauff and the crowd Saturday night.
"You are thinking of the finale of last year, and I can not imagine that someone 's ability to stay in the present moment and not let things upset be put in the picture. test, "said Pam Shriver, former US Open finalist in singles who is now an ESPN analyst. "And the same ability came out last night against Coco."
More dangers are hidden: Belinda Bencic, who Osaka will face in the fourth round, has beaten her twice this season. But Osaka, who must successfully defend his title to have a chance to stay No. 1, is now a proven open compartment.
"When she lost that 5-1 lead against Keys, I think it was a moment of consideration for her," Shriver said. "We all thought that she might have this tendency to collapse in great moments. But guess what? She reversed it and turned into a learning moment what could have been a scarring match for Ashe. It's a great skill to have instead of haunting him. "
Saturday night, Osaka saved another embarrassing opportunity in the same cacophonous place, not for herself, but for a distraught 15-year-old girl.
"Whatever I do, I try to tell myself to do it from the bottom of my heart," Osaka said.
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