Sophie Cunningham sends love as Naomi Osaka’s iconic US Open sportsmanship act over Coco Gauff trends again

Sophie Cunningham showed love to a wholesome throwback video of Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. The US Open social media posted a five-year-old video of a wholesome, elite sportsmanship gesture from Osaka.

Gauff, who was just 15 years old, met Osaka, who was world No. 1 and the defending US Open champion, in the third round. It was Gauff's first appearance in the Grand Slam tennis event. Osaka defeated Gauff by 6-3, 6-0, leaving the 15-year-old emotional.

After the game, Osaka asked Gauff to do the interview with her, saying people were there to watch her.

"These people are here for you ... You are amazing, seriously," Osaka told Gauff.

Gauff eventually did the interview, but said she didn't want to take the moment away from Osaka, who gave a big hug to the young star before she left the stadium.

Cunningham reacted to the wholesome video with a red heart emoji.

Four years later, in 2023, Coco Gauff captured her first US Open title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. On Tuesday, Osaka and Gauff met again in the Round of 16 at the US Open, where Osaka won 6-2, 6-3. Earlier this year, Gauff claimed her second Grand Slam by winning her first French Open title.

Sophie Cunningham sends an early warning to WNBA teams amid MCL rehab

Sophie Cunningham's season-ending MCL tear was the latest big blow to the Indiana Fever's quest for a deep playoff run this season. She suffered an MCL tear while she was in the midst of one of the greatest offensive stretches of her career.

15 days since her injury, Cunningham has undergone surgery and has been rehabbing her knee. On Tuesday, Cunningham shared a big update and sent an early warning to the other teams in the post.

The Fever star posted a powerful message with a selfie on her IG Story. Cunningham wore a gray T-shirt and a pair of white shorts.

"starting to feel like me again so y'all better watch tf out," she wrote, followed by emojis.

Sophie Cunningham has been ruled out for the season. While it is great watching Cunningham feel like herself just a few days after the surgery, the Fever fans won't watch her take the floor anytime this season. In 30 games, she averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 25 minutes this season.

About the author

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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Edited by Krutik Jain