Naomi Osaka Rescued A Butterfly After It Flew Into Her Face At The Australian Open

On the fifth day of the Australian Open, Naomi Osaka saved an insect. The American tennis superstar also won her match against No. 27 Ons Jabeur in straight sets overnight, 6-3, 6-2, but that was to be expected for the third-ranked women’s tennis player on the planet.

What wasn’t expected, however, was that Osaka would be swarmed by a single butterfly midway through the second set. As the broadcast said, a fan actually told Osaka there was a butterfly on her leg, causing a stoppage as she gently saved the critter from what would have absolutely been a deadly racquet swing if he hadn’t flown right onto her face. It even, improbably, landed on her nose at one point.

Osaka doesn’t appear to be very freaked out by bugs, though, as she calmly used a finger to get the butterfly off her face and move it to a safe location away from the court, drawing applause from the crowd because she didn’t decide to mash one of nature’s most delicate creatures in view of everyone assembled.

It made for an extremely picturesque moment in the shadows of Melbourne Arena.

In fact, it was a moment that almost seemed too good to be true.

Osaka advanced to the fifth round and will head into the weekend with a match against last year’s runner-up, Garbine Muguruza. Hopefully nothing interrupts that match, though photographers will certainly be looking out for it.