Showing mutual respect despite being tennis rivals, Naomi Osaka took to Twitter to share a photo with her idol Serena Williams.
The 22-year-old Japanese professional tennis player achieved victory over Serena Williams at the US Open, defeating her 6-2, 6-4 in 2018 to win a Grand Slam title.
She captioned the photo with “Me and my mom.”
Twitter users had varied reactions to the photo. Some praised Naomi for honoring Serena, while others interpreted the word “mom” differently and reminded her that Serena is not her mother but a champion.
During Osaka’s 2018 Grand Slam victory over Serena, the audience booed her, prompting Serena to switch from competitor mode to a caring, motherly figure, consoling Osaka as she wept.
It was a contentious win, leading Williams to address the booing crowd during her post-match interview, urging them to show respect: “I don’t want to do questions,” Williams said. “I just want to tell you guys she played well. This is her first Grand Slam. … Let’s not boo anymore.”
Naomi and her sister, Mari, found inspiration to start playing tennis after watching the Williams sisters on television.