Naomi Osaka’s caption celebrating Serena Williams warms hearts

Tennis stars, Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams are an inspiration to watch, though they are rivals in the sport, they still show support for each other.

The 22-year-old Japanese professional tennis player, Naomi Osaka who beat Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 at the US Open to win a Grand Slam title in 2018, took to Twitter to share a photo with her idol, Serena.

“Me and my mom,” She captioned the photo.

Twitter users had mixed reactions to the photo. Some praised Naomi for honouring Serena. But some read meanings into the word “mom” and told her that Serena isn’t her mom but a champion.

Recall that when Naomi beat Serena in 2018 to win the Grand Slam title, the crowd booed Naomi and Serena ended up switching from competitor mode to that of a mother, consoling the Japanese player as she wept.

It was an ugly win, and during her postmatch interview, Williams took to the mic to calm a loud, angry, booing crowd.

“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.”

Osaka and her sister, Mari, were inspired to start playing tennis after seeing the Williams sisters on television.