Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
Not that long ago, Naomi Osaka was struggling to adapt to the shifting tradition in tennis of using hugs instead handshakes as the gesture of grace at the end of a match.
“I’m told that I give out the worst hugs,” Osaka said last year, after winning the United States Open at 20 years old. “The thing is, I’m used to handshakes,” she added. “Every time someone comes for a hug, I’m very confused.”
By Saturday night, after the third match of her title defense, Osaka had more than perfected her take on the new brand of sportsmanship.