Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff are a combined 36 years old, one year younger than tennis icon Serena Williams. But if those two are going to carry the mantle for women's tennis when Serena ultimately walks away, Saturday evening was a pretty good introduction to a national audience.
Osaka, just 21 years old, is the No. 1 ranked female tennis player in the world. She defeated Gauff - a 15-year-old phenom - in straight sets in the third round of the U.S. Open Saturday evening. The match itself wasn't the story.
However, after the match, Osaka asked Gauff to share her post-match press conference, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house by the time each of the two finished speaking:
Though there's a very real chance Saturday will turn into the most memorable match that Osaka plays in this tournament, she's the highest-ranked female tennis player in the world, and has a chance to win one of the biggest tournaments in the sport.
Osaka will continue her tournament Monday, as she'll square off with Sweeden's Belinda Bencic, the No. 13 ranked female tennis player, in a Labor Day matchup at 4 p.m. ET.