In a nail-biting match lasting two hours and 57 minutes, Iga Swiatek saved a match point, leaving Naomi Osaka in tears. Well, it was always going to be difficult, with the current world number one facing off against the four-time Slam winner and former world number one, who is currently making a comeback. Even though she lost, Osaka’s performance has won the hearts of the tennis fraternity as fellow tennis player Taylor Townsend expressed appreciation for her.

The four-time Grand Slam champion thanked supporters on Instagram as she concluded the competition. She expressed her gratitude by uploading a video of herself saying farewell to the audience as she departed the court. Along with that, she wrote, “Thank you, I had fun ❤️ see you next time.”

While the comment section was filled with supportive comments, the 28-year-old tennis player’s comment stood out, as she talked about being proud of Osaka’s effort on the court. Townsend wrote, “You are the truth! I know you are proud of you.. but girl… so am I!”

In addition, the 49-year-old former British tennis player, Tim Henman, who witnessed the whole match, during the Eurosports French Open coverage, admired the former world number one for giving tough competition to the Pole. He said, “Osaka deserves so much credit, she put in an incredible performance. For me that could have been a Grand Slam final, that was the level of tennis.”

Not only is the tennis world proud of the Japanese player for coming through the match even after being away from tennis for almost a year, but she herself opened up about how she wrote herself a sentence of appreciation. In a press conference after the match, Osaka revealed that she wrote “I am so proud of you,” for herself in her journal.

Along with that, she also emphasized why she gave her a positive comment; she said, “I wrote it because I had given myself strength.” However, do you know the defeat also left her in tears, as she brought up her strong front and gave the world’s number one tough competition?

Naomi Osaka cried after losing to Iga Swiatek 

The 26-year-old tennis player was heartbroken, and in tears, she was able to put the heartbreaking setback in perspective. She said, “I cried when I got off the court, but realized I watched Iga in this tournament when I was pregnant (with daughter Shai) last year and remembered it was my dream just to play her.”

Osaka had a chance to win the third set, but Swiatek’s remarkable comeback guaranteed her a spot in the third round. But she faltered when serving to end the match at 5-3, losing three short balls that gave Swiatek the advantage back in the game.

However now, after the match and the tough moment, things will get better for the Japanese tennis player. Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the defeat? Do let us know in the comment section below.