PLAYING THE LONG GAME

A storm hung over Arthur Ashe Stadium too. On one side stood Naomi Osaka, at that point a relative unknown as the 19th-ranked player in the world, whose blistering aces and ground strokes had wowed audiences over the two weeks of play. On the other, Naomi’s idol and the obvious fan favourite, Serena Williams, 23time Grand Slam title winner.

I’d scored courtside seats for the match, and I watched as these extraordinary athletes exhibited pretty much opposite kinds of energy for the next hour and 19 minutes. Serena, rattled by a call from the umpire in the second set, unravelled. When Naomi won the match, there was no exuberant celebration. At the trophy ceremony, Naomi pulled her visor down and bowed her head, tears streaming down her face. She told the pro-Serena crowd, “I’m sorry… I know that everyone was cheering for her, and I’m sorry that it had to end like this.” An unsettling way to win your first Grand Slam championship, no? In a moment that should’ve been about celebration,