Despite the myriad of controversies surrounding last weekend’s event, US Open champ Naomi Osaka said she is not sad that the behavior of Serena Williams has, for now, overshadowed her win.
Osaka, 20, heard boos when she was receiving her trophy and in the moment thought they were directed at her for her win against fan-favorite Williams. Her 36-year-old opponent cleared that up for her with a whisper in her ear during the trophy presentation.
“I couldn’t tell what was going on, it was so loud and a little bit stressful,” Osaka said of the moment. “She said was proud of me and to know the crowd weren’t booing at me.”
During an appearance on Ellen, Osaka also explained how she remained composed while Williams flipped out on umpire Carlos Ramos, and how she feels as the reigning champ.
“For me, I don’t feel sad because I wouldn’t even know what I’m expected to feel,” she said. “I don’t think I even thought about feeling sad because there’s no experience for me to draw on [from] any other Grand Slam final.”
And it turns out Osaka actually has a new reason to feel happy.
According to reports, she’s agreed to an endorsement deal with Adidas that will pay her $8.5 million per year, which would be the richest deal in women’s tennis.
A segment of Osaka’s appearance is below.
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