
Watch: Naomi Osaka’s wholesome moment with butterfly draws applause from crowd at Australian Open
Naomi Osaka had a customer throughout her third-round match in opposition to Ons Jabeur at the 2021 Australian Open – a butterfly.
The butterfly stopped play for a short moment because it landed on Osaka’s leg, and the Japanese tennis star escorted it to security in a touching moment, which drew applause from the crowd.
Naomi Osaka is again within the fourth spherical of the Australian Open for the primary time since her title run in 2019.
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Osaka overcame 28 unforced errors and saved six of seven break factors she confronted in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Twenty seventh-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia on Friday.
“I used to be actually nervous and scared as a result of I did not know if she was going to hit a drop shot on any ball,” Osaka mentioned of taking part in Jabeur for the primary time.
Osaka was shocked final 12 months within the third spherical at Melbourne Park by then-15-year-old Coco Gauff. She has seemed stable to this point this 12 months, dropping simply 13 video games in her first three matches.
Osaka and Serena Williams are the one two former Australian Open champions remaining within the draw after the losses by Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber.
She subsequent faces one other in-form participant, two-time main winner Garbiñe Muguruza, who has misplaced even fewer video games (10) en path to the fourth spherical.