Roger Federer's brilliant tribute to crestfallen Naomi Osaka

One day after Naomi Osaka’s heartbreaking admission about her US Open triumph, Roger Federer has heaped praise on the young star.

On Tuesday, Osaka admitted that winning the US Open was “bittersweet” and “not the happiest memory”, revealing she’s been trying to forget the groundbreaking victory.

But these comments from Federer might go a long way to changing her mood.

The Swiss legend on Wednesday described Osaka as a champion, praising her ‘winning mentality’.

“I think winning Indian Wells helped her to believe that she could also win another big title,” said Federer, speaking at a Uniqlo event signing with the Japanese clothing company.

“I think she is a champion in the sense that she doesn’t shy away from the big stage.

“Indian Wells is the second biggest tennis court we have in the world and the US Open is the biggest one.

“She succeeded in both of them and that shows a winner’s mentality.”

The 20-year-old rising star from Japan stunned Serena Williams last month in a tempestuous final in which the American called chair umpire Carlos Ramos “a thief” and later accused him of sexism.

“There’s a lot of stuff I want to say about how I felt and whatever,” the World No.6 said.

Williams’s high-profile meltdown made headlines over Osaka’s feat in becoming the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam, although Osaka has declined to point the finger at the American great.

“For me, I don’t know, I don’t know, the memory of the US Open is a little bit bittersweet,” Osaka said.

“Right after, the day after, I really didn’t want to think about it because it wasn’t necessarily the happiest memory for me.

“I just sort of wanted to move on at that point.”

Speaking in Beijing, where Osaka powered into round two of the China Open with a dominant performance over Kazakh qualifier Zarina Diyas, the young Japanese light-heartedly compared her Grand Slam success to green-tea ice cream.

“When you bite into it, it’s sweet, but also very strong — that’s how that memory feels to me.

“Of course I’m happy that I won a Grand Slam, I don’t think there’s anything that can take away from that… but I feel like it was so strange, I didn’t just want to think about it.

“I wanted to just push it to the side.”

with agencies