Now, I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about sports. This is me when it comes to anything involving athletics:
However, I did know there was a tennis match happening yesterday between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff at the U.S. Open — thanks, dad!
After Naomi, 21, defeated Coco, 15, during the third round, she graciously invited her to address the crowd and the emotional moment has since gone viral:
"[Naomi] did amazing. I'm gonna learn a lot from this match. She's been so sweet to me. So thank you for this. Thank you," Coco said during the post-game interview.
Naomi also praised Coco and her parents, who were in the stands, saying, "I just want to say, 'You guys raised an amazing player.' I remember seeing you guys training in the same place."
Here's the full video:
View this video on YouTube
Me, after watching that:
Naomi rose to fame after defeating Serena Williams in last year’s Open final. Serena later apologized for her passionate response to the umpire who accused her of getting signaling from her coach during the match, which caused numerous headlines and overshadowed Naomi's win.
It's just lovely to see women in sports uplifting each other, period. It goes to show that you can be competitors and still be kind! 💖🤗🎾
People on Twitter felt the same:
@apbenven So very dope! It ain’t a rivalry, it’s a sisterhood. And I can’t wait to see them compete for the next decade.
This is what its all about. Spread love, compassion, kindness ❤❤❤ your light does not dim when you acknowledge the goodness in others. Beautiful to see https://t.co/P72wr356hk
@apbenven I’m in tears. These young women are exemplary.
@apbenven So much love and respect between all of them, even the shoutout to her parents. ❤️
Great match @CocoGauff and @Naomi_Osaka_ the future of the tennis is in great hands #USOpen
Young Queens! The Future is promising. 👑👑 #Love 🖤 #Unity 💪🏾 #Respect ✊🏿 #Integrity ✊🏾 #CocoGauff #NaomiOsaka
@apbenven This is what you call Black Exellence... brought a tear to my eye
@apbenven The future of Womens tennis #USOpen2019
Wow. What a moment. These two women, @Naomi_Osaka_ & @CocoGauff, set an example for the world last night. This is what it’s all about. https://t.co/Ae1vAgnDSV
@apbenven This is how athletes should behave on the global stage. What an example for the next generation coming up in sports. Such humility from both players. Both ladies are a Class Act!
@apbenven No caption needed 👑👑
Legendary tennis champion Billie Jean King also praised the moment:
Congratulations to @Naomi_Osaka_, who showed greatness on and off the court. @CocoGauff now knows what she needs to do to get to No. 1. How fortunate we all are to have witnessed the dawning of a new era in women’s tennis. #USOpen