MELBOURNE, Australia — Naomi Osaka saved six break points during her third-round victory Friday at the Australian Open. The world’s third-ranked women’s player also saved a butterfly.
Osaka, 23, was preparing to serve during the second set of her match against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia when the butterfly decided it wanted to become the Japanese player’s doubles partner. A fan yelled, “There’s a butterfly on your leg,” which caused Osaka to stop.
She delicately reached down and plucked the butterfly from her leg and walked to the side of the court, allowing the insect to fly away.
The butterfly, however, flew around alighted on Osaka’s nose and face. She brought the butterfly back to the side of the court, and the insect finally flew away.
Even the butterflies in Australia love @naomiosaka 🦋😂#AusOpen | #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/DyJ7jLYYgh
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 12, 2021
Osaka, who won the Australian Open in 2019, defeated Jabeur 6-3, 6-2, ESPN reported, overcoming 28 unforced errors against the 27th-seeded Jabeur, the sports network reported.
“I was really nervous and scared because I didn’t know if she was going to hit a drop shot on any ball,” said Osaka, who will face two-time major winner Garbine Muguruza in Sunday’s fourth round.
Osaka also made light of her butterfly encounter, writing on Instagram, “R3 (swipe to the end for a laugh)” and punctuating her post with several emojis.
Cox Media Group
