At a time when it looked like Naomi Osaka was back to her best, she suffered a heartbreaking setback just days before the US Open. The 4-time Grand Slam champion went down fighting against Canada’s Victoria Mboko in three sets in the final of the Canadian Open. Despite making a bright start to the match and winning the first set comfortably 6-2, Osaka couldn’t sustain Mboko’s comeback spirit as the home crowd erupted in celebration. After the match, Osaka’s behavior came into the limelight, and Coco Gauff’s ex-coach pointed it out on social media.

Following the match, Osaka had a hasty post-match interview on the court and even failed to acknowledge her opponent’s efforts after Mboko had won the biggest title of her career. “I don’t really wanna take up too much time. I’ll just say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my team, the ball kids, organizers, & volunteers. I hope you guys had a good night,” Osaka said, as there was no mention of Mboko in her interview. As a result, she faced massive backlash from the tennis world for being a bad loser.

Even Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, acknowledged this fact and criticized Osaka’s post-match interview. Taking to his official X handle, Gilbert wrote, “Props to Silent K on excellent speech after losing 7/6 in 3rd, I know Double Osaka struggles with social anxiety but gosh congratulate your opponent especially one that looked upped to you, not mention you just let the last few games going a final.”

On the other hand, Mboko, the 18-year-old, was very respectful of Osaka. She considered the Japanese star her idol and made a heartening confession during her post-match interview, saying, “I want to thank Naomi for an incredible match. I’ve always looked up to her when I was really little, so it’s always great to play with such an amazing player like you.” Additionally, Mboko also brushed off Osaka’s post-match controversy and the fact that she was disrespectful towards her, citing that there wasn’t any ill intent involved.

While Mboko was on the opposite end of the controversy this time around, Coco Gauff also faced a similar situation as the Canadian sensation a few months back. During that controversy, Gauff showed off her gracious side in a stunning revelation.

When Coco Gauff dismissed her insult by Aryna Sabalenka with grace

During the French Open earlier this year, Gauff made a stunning comeback in the final against Sabalenka and won her maiden title there, defeating the Belarusian star in three sets. Sabalenka was reduced to tears after the match, having come so close to winning her first title there. However, during the post-match interview, Sabalenka failed to acknowledge Gauff’s comeback and faced strong criticism from the tennis world. Nonetheless, Gauff was quick to dismiss any ill intent by Sabalenka.

The American sensation said, “I was a little bit surprised, but at the end of the day it was tough conditions and a tough match. And for me, I know when I step on the court—I’m from Florida. I’ve played in the wind a lot—and I know when I play on a windy day, you’re not going to win by hitting winners.”

Further, Coco Gauff added, “You’re not going to win by playing pretty tennis… And also when you’re playing Aryna, she’s such a tough hitter, so you know she’s going to hit winners, so you kind of have to make her make those mistakes. So, I think everything that I did was for a reason and for a purpose. That’s how I needed to play today. I knew that mentally going on to the court, that’s what I needed to do. And if it went her way, I would’ve credited her as well.”

Meanwhile, the action now shifts to Cincinnati, which will be the final warm-up tournament for the top players ahead of the US Open. Can Osaka come back strongly after a heartbreaking loss in the Canadian Open? Let us know your views in the comments below.