"I have so much tea right now, but I'm not going to spill it" - When Naomi Osaka reflected on controversial 2018 US Open final against Serena Williams
Despite struggling with form and injuries over the last year and a half, Naomi Osaka has achieved significantly more than most players her age. The Japanese star has already clinched four Grand Slam titles at the age of just 25.
But back in 2018, Osaka's first-ever Major triumph was almost ruined by the behavior of the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium. And in an interview later that year, she talked about the conflicting emotions within her but stopped short of blaming anyone for the incident.
The only fault of the 20th-seed Japanese prodigy in New York was that she had defeated one of the greatest players of all time and the home favorite, Serena Williams, to lift the US Open trophy. This was Williams' second unsuccessful attempt at a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
Osaka stunned the entire tennis world that day, as no one expected a rather unknown and low-ranked player to beat the legendary American star. But the then 21-year-old had shown her extraordinary level throughout the tournament; before the title clash she had won five out of her six matches in straight sets, including an astounding run of 22 consecutive games.
When she stepped onto the podium to receive her maiden Grand Slam trophy though, Naomi Osaka was welcomed with boos by the angry crowd, who were rooting for Williams to win. What was supposed to be the most beautiful moment of her life up to that point had turned into a nightmare.
Osaka had to start her winning speech by saying:
"I know everyone was cheering for her, and I'm sorry it had to end like this."
Williams had multiple moments of frustration during the match. She yelled at the chair umpire, calling him a "thief" and a "liar", and at one stage even smashed her racquet on the ground, for which she received a point penalty. In an interview three months after the match, Osaka described the incident as "bittersweet", and seemingly refrained from expressing her true emotions out of respect for Williams.
"I have so much tea right now, but I'm not going to spill it. There's a lot of stuff I want to say about, like, how I felt and whatever. But for me, I don't know....," Osaka said.
Naomi Osaka celebrates Japan's victory over Spain at the FIFA World Cup
At the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup Japan shocked 2010 champions Spain 2-1 in the group stage, although both teams went through to the next round. In their previous two matches, Japan had downed Germany 2-1 and lost to Costa Rica 1-0.
Naomi Osaka celebrated her home team's win over Spain in a special way, posting an edited picture of Dragon Ball Z characters posing as Japanese players.
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