I Was a Teenage Upsetter, Part 2

My goodness. Right after the shocking upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas by 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open, the renowned star Naomi Osaka wandered into a match that she wasn't mentally prepared for, and found herself in a three-set loss to 18-year-old Leyla Fernandez of Canada.

I caught only the beginning of the women's match. Osaka seemed more or less in control about a half-hour into it. Not predominating, but she had a decent-sized edge over a much less experienced opponent. But as the highlight reel shows, Osaka soon lost her cool when things didn't go her way, and the kid held on. As with Alcaraz, the New York crowd was with the youngster.

Afterward, a distraught Osaka said she's not enjoying tennis, even in her many wins. This may be the last we see of her on the court for a long time, maybe ever.  I loved when she beat Serena Williams to win this tournament three years ago. On that night, Williams lost her composure, made a fool of herself, and spoiled Osaka's coming-out party. It has subsequently become clear that being a perennial tennis champion is not Naomi's thing. I hope she finds what is, even if she never plays competitively again.