❤️?@Naomi_Osaka_ | @CocoGauff#USOpen pic.twitter.com/ouVQenQki6
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2019
Coco Gauff‘s first U.S. Open in the main draw proved arguably as memorable as her Wimbledon run last month. It ended Saturday, when defending champion Naomi Osaka served her out 6-3, 6-0 in the third round.
Then Osaka, 21, approached Gauff, 15, and urged the youngest woman in the tournament to share the on-court victor’s interview.
“It’s better than going into the showers and crying,” Osaka, who was memorably in tears after beating Serena Williams in last year’s final, when boos for the chair umpire rained down, told Gauff. “Let these people know how you feel.”
Uplift one another ???@CocoGauff | @Naomi_Osaka_ | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/XtZIefrs1v
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2019
Open thread
sukabi
Well that’s a refreshing change. Perhaps we are capable of learning and changing.
JPL
That was so incredibly sweet.
Sister Golden Bear
Great to see women supporting each other rather than tearing each other down — especially when it involves two women who are undoubtedly as hyper-competitive as one needs to be to reach that level.
debbie
@sukabi:
Or just give up on trying to fix us. We know much better people are on the way.
chris
Kindness rules.
Also ducklings.
sukabi
@debbie: Never give up. Let the better people lead.
MattF
It’s a good, humane gesture. That said, Osaka is a professional at the top of her game, who understands— correctly— that what’s good for the game is good for her.
West of the Rockies
That was exceptional! In a world of Trumplings who take pleasure in inflicting pain and humiliation, we are reminded of a better way.
Yarrow
Very nice and inspiring. Thanks for posting.
Doug R
It is possible to be gracious in winning.
TaMara (HFG)
@MattF: In a previous interview, before the match, she said that she really wanted to help Gauff because she reminded her of herself when she started out winning big. She’s providing the support she wishes she had in those days.
Cathie Fonz
Osaka is the real deal.
Serena held her up last year, in front of that New York crowd, and now Osaka is paying it forward and supporting Coco.
TaMara (HFG)
@TaMara (HFG): and possibly repaying the kindess Serena showed her when the crowds were behaving badly.
ETA: or what Cathie Fonz said above, LOL
joel hanes
The kids are all right.
Bruuuuce
The salvation of this country, and the world, is going to be non-white/cishet/self-described Christian/male people and the kindness they bring. Well done, Ms. Osaka.
Ruckus
@Sister Golden Bear:
I worked in professional sports for 20 yrs as an amateur official, and 11 more as a full time official. The people that impressed me the most in those 31 yrs worked hard because that’s who they are, it’s what they have to do, and because they helped others to grow. They respected talent, they respected anyone who tried to get better, to grow. I also met a few people who thought of themselves as king of the world, best of the best, better than you, better than everyone. Those people are the ones that I had little respect for. Their sport talent shined bright, their talent at humanity earned them last place. They worked hard, they earned the accolades for that work and that talent, but they lacked massively in pretty much every other way. Some of them even were contemptible because of it. IOW good at the sport, crappy at human.
StringOnAStick
Here’s another imgur worth watching, as a young cat discovers that it has ears: https://mockpaperscissors.com/2019/08/31/saturday-palate-cleanser-40/
ETA: OK, I blew it on the link, so just cut and paste; you’ll love it!
Genine Tyson
Both of those clips were soul showers. Very cleansing and refreshing. We need more of this!
NotMax
For those keeping score at home (hah!), after nearly a week of staring at the newly arrived, monstrously huge air fryer sitting on the living room floor, *think* I have figured out a way to rejigger stuff stored in and near the kitchen so as to squeeze it in out of sight, in the spot where the ginormous stew pot now resides. Followed the instructions on how to prep and season the air fryer basket, to make sure the unit worked, but have yet to cook anything in it. Plan on inaugurating it by making a batch of onion rings after procuring the necessary ingredients during this month’s grocery run to town next week.
Only casualty should be tossing the sack of powdered milk I keep in that stew pot. I make use of it so infrequently that its absence won’t have much impact.
Tazj
Great, these clips were very uplifting and needed in light of everything that’s happening.
I was also listening to NPR’s Radiolab about triage in times of disaster while I was running errands, which was absolutely heartbreaking, so I’m really happy to see this.
BruceFromOhio
Grace under pressure, at 15 years; paying it forward to see paying it forward again.These professionals are both going to go far. Thanks for the inspiration!
MoxieM
@chris: I love that. I’m the scaredy-duck who keeps trying to walk down the side, changes its mind walks back up, looks at the water slide, thinks, “oooh! fast!” and dithers some more…
hoosierspud
I love this current crop of female athletes. This in tennis, the women’s soccer team pushing for equal pay and their no-big-deal attitude about gay teammates. How many men’s teams can compare to this?
J R in WV
No telling which of those young women is sweeter. I guess Naomi ranked #1 and still helping out a young woman in her first US Open is pretty heart warming, and Coco seemed to really learn from it as well. Really sweet. Tear jerker sweetness… thanks TaMara!!