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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 31: Cori Gauff of the United States and Naomi Osaka of Japan speak following their Women’s Singles third round match on day six of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 31: Cori Gauff of the United States and Naomi Osaka of Japan speak following their Women’s Singles third round match on day six of the 2019 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 31, 2019 in Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Fans recently saw a big upset at the Cincinnati Masters 2021. World No.2 Naomi Osaka lost to Jil Teichmann in three sets in the pre-quarters of the tournament. The Swiss player made a phenomenal comeback after losing the first set and shocked the Japanese star. The final scoreline of the match was 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
In the post-match press conference, Naomi Osaka revealed something quite interesting. She told the reporters that even though she defeated Coco Gauff in the previous round of the Cincinnati Masters 2021, the American sent her some really nice messages ahead of her match against Teichmann.
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#TENISxESPN Osaka reveló que contó con el apoyo de Gauff durante su tiempo fuera del circuito. https://t.co/M5O9nAM2pJ
— ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) August 19, 2021
“She sent me really nice messages and I really appreciated that she does that,” admitted Osaka in the press conference. (Translated via Google Translate)
Besides being rivals on the court, Osaka and Gauff are really good friends off the court. It was a noble gesture from Gauff as even though Osaka defeated her, she really wanted her to win the tournament.
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Naomi Osaka in the 2021 tennis season
Osaka began the 2021 season on a really high note as she won her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2021. She played some fabulous tennis there and soon, rose to the No.2 spot in the WTA rankings.
USA Today via Reuters
Naomi Osaka (JPN) reacts during a change of ends against Jil Teichmann (SUI) during the Western and Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
However, after her success in Melbourne, she has not been up to the mark. She didn’t succeed at the Miami Open 2021 and then the clay-court season proved to be a nightmare for her as she won just two matches on the surface in three tournaments. Surprisingly, the Japanese star decided to withdraw from the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships 2021 due to her mental health issues.
Naomi returned to the court at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 but failed to grab a medal there. She failed to deliver at the National Bank Open 2021 and now has got eliminated from the Cincinnati Masters 2021 as well.
Naomi Osaka will now be defending her title at the US Open 2021. Even though she is not enjoying some great form at the moment, fans still have huge expectations from her. Will she be able to conquer New York once again this year?
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