When Osaka and Williams next met, it was at the 2018 U.S. Open Final. Osaka made history the moment she stepped on the court, becoming the first Japanese woman to make a final of a major; Williams, of course, was going for what would have been a historic 24th major win. Osaka came out on top of the hard-fought match, but it was Williams's intense argument with the chair umpire that made headlines, leaving her match marred with code violations and causing the crowd to boo through the trophy ceremony. Williams put her disappointment aside to comfort a distraught Osaka on her first Grand Slam, telling the audience, "She played well. And this is her first Grand Slam . . . Let's give everyone the credit where credit's due. Let's not boo anymore. We're going to get through this, and let's be positive. So congratulations, Naomi."
It was an unfortunate way to end Osaka's first major win, but it was only the start for the new star. She's gone on to notch two more Grand Slams in the years since.