Naomi Osaka Wins U.S. Open Match Quickly So Kobe Bryant and Colin Kaepernick Won’t ‘Sit in the Sun Too Long’

August 31, 2019

Women’s Singles Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka showed great form on Thursday as she breezed through her match at the U.S. Open.

The Japanese Haitian tennis star advanced to the third round of the tournament after defeating Magda Linette 6-2, 6-4.

Watching in support of the 21-year-old athlete were NBA legend Kobe Bryant and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sat under the sun from her box in the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

In the post-game interview, she was asked about what it was like to have celebrity athletes rooting for her. Osaka responded that she was more worried about the heat than the pressure she felt from them, according to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr.

View post on X

“I mean, I don’t feel like it’s pressure, but I do feel like I did want to play well,” Osaka was quoted as saying. “It’s just funny to me. You know, like, last year compared to this year there is no way, like, Kobe would sit in my box. Yeah, Kaepernick too. It’s just crazy who you can run into in life.”

“For me, it wasn’t pressure. It was just like I really didn’t want them to sit in the sun too long, honestly. That was the thing that was on my mind. I was, like, I don’t really want to play a third set.”

Osaka dominated the match, easily taking the first set. In the second set, Osaka came from a 3-0 deficit to grab a 6-4 win, officially ending the match.

Featured Image via YouTube / US Open Tennis Championships

Share this Article