To Naomi Osaka, after your first grand slam title. Or, after your first grand slam final. Or, after being the first woman from your nation of Japan to ever win a grand slam in tennis. Or, after being the first person, male or female from your nation of Japan to ever win a grand slam in tennis. Or, after defeating Serena Williams, one of the best women's tennis players of all time. Congratulations. And I'm sorry.
They asked you, after you won the championship against Serena Williams, what turning your dream into a reality felt like and you felt compelled to apologize. You apologized to the crowd because you knew they wanted to see Serena win, and you thanked them for watching your match. It was your dream turned reality, a moment that few people ever truly have the opportunity to realize, and it was tainted because the crowd chose to boo at the officials, at the treatment of Serena, rather than cheer for your play. And I am so sorry.
The reason I love sports, ever since growing up, and will continue to love sports is because of what it brings out of people. There is no comparison to the amount of emotion someone can pour into a sports competition, whether that be the player, the fans, and yes, even the officials. You not only achieved the amazing victory of winning a grand slam title, or beating Serena Williams, but you were historical. You are the first ever, and you are only twenty years old. I stood in my living room watching a match, the same age as you are, as you played and my heart was breaking for you.
I'll admit it, I was hoping that Serena would win. However, I think the difference between me and all those fans out there that booed today, is that I just wanted tennis to win. I wanted to see good tennis played, above all, and you showed everyone that today. You went after points, you kept your cool, and you truly WON the U.S. Open. It was not simply handed to you by a rash decision made by the official. I wish the crowd had made you feel that.
Like you, I grew up watching Serena (and Venus) dominate the pro tour. They were players I looked at as points of reference, and they were fun to watch. You were able to play an idol of yours, and to defeat her which is truly impeccable. I am glad that she was able to give you the credit that you deserved in the end, to make the crowd stop booing, and to hopefully allow people to recognize the tennis you played today. You showed Serena serves and passing shots that few people in the game are able to deliver. You showed poise and maturity beyond your years, and well beyond your experience.
That crowd should have shown you better. For all that you brought to the world of tennis, and for all that you have shown you can bring, that crowd should have supported you along the way. One aspect of tennis that I love is the unspoken rules the fans have. We do not cheer against players, we cheer for good play. They should have done that tonight. Had the crowd focused more on good play, than on unfortunate circumstances, they would never have stopped cheering.
I am so sorry that the crowd didn't support you during your final. That what should have been the best moment of your life was overshadowed by unfortunate circumstances, rules, and immature responses of the crowd. You deserved better, we all deserved better, and you definitely earned better.
To all the fans out there, let's support good tennis. At the end of the day, we are all in the stands because we will never be at the level of the athletes on the court, so maybe instead of staying so in our heads and focused on one player, we could instead spread the love of the sport to people who are just beginning to break through. Especially if they break through as strongly as Naomi Osaka did at her first grand slam finals.
