Before the tournament at Roland Garros kicked off in full swing, two rising stars of world tennis experienced dramatic moments that nearly jeopardized their performances at the French Grand Slam. First, Coco Gauff was involved in a minor car accident on her way to the stadium, an incident that could have shaken her concentration, but the young American faced it with humor and even considered it a sign of good luck. However, just one day later, Naomi Osaka revealed a truly frightening episode: the car she was in was struck by a bus in a collision that could have had very serious consequences.
Coco Gauff, before her first-round match against Taylor Townsend, was involved in a minor collision while being transported to the venue. The impact was strong enough for the young tennis player to spill her juice inside the car, but far from being disheartened, Gauff laughed off the incident and regarded it as a good omen. Her relaxed attitude seemed to give her strength, as she comfortably won the match, confirming her talent and resilience.
However, Naomi Osaka’s story was a completely different and much more dramatic one. After securing her place in the third round by defeating Donna Vekić in straight sets, the Japanese player revealed in a press conference that the vehicle she was in was struck by a bus. “Yes, we had a little accident two days ago. I wasn’t scared for my life, but I thought, ‘Wow, this bus is really crushing our car,’” Osaka recounted, acknowledging the intensity of the impact. “I could clearly hear the car scraping as the bus kept pushing us. The strangest part was that the bus kept moving forward, and for a moment I thought it was going to completely flip our car.”
Despite the scare, the former world number one managed to remain calm, a quality she herself highlighted as essential for dealing with dangerous situations: “I noticed that in dangerous situations, I don’t panic. I just think very slowly: ‘Okay, this is happening.’” This mental serenity translated into a high-level performance on court, where Osaka showed no signs of fragility and secured qualification for the third round of Roland Garros for the first time since 2019.
The Japanese tennis player also acknowledged the evolution she has experienced in her mental maturity: “Mentally, I am very different compared to last year. Before, I would get very stressed when the matches were tight, I would panic and have a lot of difficulties managing those moments.”
It is worth recalling that Naomi Osaka returned to the courts last year after a 15-month break due to the birth of her daughter, a period during which she revealed that she faced emotional challenges, including postpartum depression and feelings of guilt for being away from her child. However, returning to tennis gave her a new reason to live and a renewed identity, beyond motherhood and sleepless nights.
“Now I try to play point by point. I am at peace with the idea of losing, as long as I feel that I gave my all and made it as difficult as possible for my opponent,” Osaka added.
In her next challenge at Roland Garros, Naomi Osaka will face Iva Jovic, trying to maintain her positive trajectory despite the traumatic incident she experienced. Meanwhile, the collision suffered by Coco Gauff, although less serious — her car collided with a pole — also caused some commotion, but did not prevent the young American from advancing in the tournament.
These stories reveal the resilience and determination of the two tennis players, who, even in the face of adversities off the court, demonstrate exemplary mental strength. Roland Garros is proving to be a stage not only for high-level tennis but also for personal overcoming.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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