Naomi Osaka Is First Japanese Tennis Player to Win Grand Slam

01Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams to win the U.S.

02Open Tennis Championship on Saturday.

03She became the first Japanese player ever to win a Grand Slam title.

04Two days after the match, Osaka's victory is still front-page news and leading discussion on television programs in Japan.

05Osaka was born in Osaka, Japan, to a Japanese mother and a Haitian-American father.

06The family moved to the United States when she was three.

07She holds both Japanese and American citizenship, but she has chosen to compete for the Japanese Tennis Association.

08Osaka's victory and her respectful behavior have brought national pride to Japan.

09For now, it appears the country is ready to accept her as Japanese despite her mixed race, a complicated issue in Japan.

10Japan's largest newspaper, Yomi Yuri, called Osaka a new heroine that Japan is proud of.

11The newspaper described her appeal as being extremely strong on the tennis court, but innocent off the court.

12Yunko Okamoto wrote in the weekly magazine Toyokeizai that Osaka's shyness makes her look more like a Japanese.

13Okamoto also said Osaka could become a face of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

14In an interview Monday from New York on Japan's TBS television, Osaka was asked what she wants to do now.

15She replied in Japanese, Have curried rice topped with a pork cutlet.

16Then in English she said, I am very honored.

17I don't know how to say that in Japanese.

18In the United States, much of the post-match discussion has centered on Serena Williams' controversial behavior during the final.

19Early in the second set of the match, chair umpire Carlos Ramos called a violation against Williams for receiving coaching from her coach.

20That is, against the rules during Grand Slam matches.

21Williams argued the ruling.

22She said, One thing I've never done is cheat.

23Ever.

24She added, I don't cheat to win.

25I'd rather lose.

26Later, Williams received another violation for smashing her tennis racket on the ground after losing a point.

27Because it was her second violation, Williams received a point penalty.

28In other words, Osaka began the next game with one point.

29During a break, Williams again told Ramos she had not gotten coaching and asked for him to apologize.

30She told Ramos he would never umpire one of her matches again.

31She then called the chair umpire a thief for stealing a point from her.

32Ramos then charged Williams with verbal abuse, her third rule violation.

33The third violation resulted in a game penalty.

34The penalty meant Williams lost one full game.

35It also put Osaka in an even better position to win the set and the match.

36After losing the match, Williams said, I'm here fighting for women's rights and women's equality.

37And for me to say, thief and for him to take a game makes me feel like it was a sexist remark.

38Williams' supporters and some in the tennis world criticized the chair umpire's rulings, especially the game penalty.

39Billie Jean King is a former top-ranked player and a woman's rights activist.

40She wrote on Twitter in support of Williams.

41When a woman is emotional, she's hysterical and she's penalized for it.

42When a man does the same, he's outspoken and there are no repercussions, King wrote.

43Several male tennis players, including Andy Roddick and James Blake, also came out in support of Williams.

44Osaka said she did not know what was happening between Williams and the umpire.

45After the match, the new U.S.

46Open champion said, I'm always going to remember the Serena that I love.

47I'm Phil Deerking.