JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Two of the biggest names in tennis faced off today at the U.S. Open - Naomi Osaka versus Coco Gauff in the Round of 16. Osaka won in a dominant performance. After the match, she told ESPN, she looks up to Gauff.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
NAOMI OSAKA: I feel like to be such an amazing role model at such a young age is a gift, and it's a talent that she has, and I have all the respect in the world for her, so...
SUMMERS: The two first met in 2019. Coco Gauff was only 15 then, playing in her first U.S. Open. Osaka was the world No. 1, 21-years-old and the defending champion. Gauff lost that match and was teary eyed. But just as Osaka was about to start her postgame interview, also with ESPN, she invited Gauff to join her. Osaka could see that the crowd loved Gauff and would want to hear from her.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
COCO GAUFF: She's been so sweet to me, so thank you for this. Thank you.
SUMMERS: A lot has changed since then. Gauff is now 21 and is the world's highest-paid female athlete. Osaka took a break from the game and had a baby. These days, she's ranked 24th and returns to the court tomorrow for the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE NEW FOOLS' "THINGS ON MY MIND") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
