It was the biggest dissapointment of Naomi Osaka’s life, and the tears streamed down her face. As she waited to be handed the US Open trophy, something she had wanted for as long as she could remember, the crowd booed loudly.
She was shaking, her face frozen in agony.
On Thursday, after advancing to her first Grand Slam final, the 20-year-old said she had been dreaming since she was a child about playing — and beating — Serena Williams with a major title on the line.
Her dream came true, but it probably didn’t feel like it at the time. It’s hard to believe any of her dreams ended quite like Saturday did, despite the victory. The match, specifically the second set, was marred in controversy as Williams was handed three code violations — the last (for verbal abuse) resulting in a game penalty, giving Osaka a 5-3 edge.
Osaka could barely manage a smile. It was only when Williams put her arm around Osaka to comfort her that she showed any relief.
Her voice cracked as she was interviewed by ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi. “I know everyone was cheering for her, and I’m sorry it had to end like this,” Osaka said.
The biggest victory in Osaka’s career, the one she had worked her entire life to achieve, was completely overshadowed by disagreement and chaos. As she posed for pictures with her new trophy, her face was stained with tears, and her lips locked in a straight line. She looked devastated.
This will be the image shown for all time when recalling her first major victory:
