In 2018, after defeating her idol Serena Williams in the US Open to attain her first major title and accomplishing what many would consider one of the greatest moments in Women’s Tennis History, twenty-year old Naomi Osaka broke out in tears. Surprisingly, a year later at the age of twenty-one, Osaka once again found herself in a similar position.
This time, the tears that streamed down her face stemmed from a sense of comfort to another young aspiring tennis superstar. Cori “CoCo” Gauff, a 15 year-old from Florida, who defeated tennis legend Venus Williams in Wimbledon has taken the tennis world by storm during this past year. She also made history by being the youngest qualifier for the Wimbledon tournament.
Secondly, she was the youngest U.S. Open Junior finalist, and the youngest winner in twenty- five years to win the Junior French Open title at fourteen. Nevertheless, much excitement and anticipation was expected for this match. Although Osaka dominated for the majority of it and ultimately defeated CoCo 6-3, 6-0, the best parts of this match came during the post-game interview.
As CoCo was seen walking off the court crying because her efforts to advance to the next round of a major tournament fell short, Osaka immediately rushed over to comfort her as well as give her much needed words of encouragement. This sparked an immediate moment of sisterhood between Osaka and Gauff. Osaka’s words to “Keep your head up, you’ve got so much to be proud of”’were very similar to the words that Serena told her almost a year ago.
Osaka knowing how big this moment was for CoCo Gauff shifted from being an opponent, to being a counselor and a form of consolation. This was not only a huge moment in tennis, but for the rest of the world as well.
We must never forget the endless work and fearless dedication that tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams put into the game of tennis. These icons led the way for younger generations of tennis players. Their legacy will live on through players such as Naomi Osaka, Taylor Townsend, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, and 15 year-old Cori Gauff.