Naomi Osaka lauded for treating butterfly with care despite break in rhythm: WATCH

Naomi Osaka was in full flight in her clash against Ons Jabeur in the Australian Open 2021. The 23-year-old has dropped just 13 games in her opening three matches and has been at her very best as she set up a Round of 16 clash with last year's finalist Garbine Muguruza. Osaka had little trouble during her win on Friday, except for when a butterfly landed on her nose during the game. 

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Osaka butterfly incident: Tennis praised after 'gentle touch' during Australian Open 2021 

A butterfly landed on Naomi Osaka as she played against Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during their women's singles match on day five of the Australian Open 2021 in Melbourne on Friday. The 23-year-old remained unnerved and unbothered by the insect and picked it up gently and placed it on the sidelines allowing it to fly away. However, the butterfly soon returned and landed on her nose, and she kept her calm before letting the insect fly away. Australian Open commentators lauded the tennis ace, while the crowd also applauded Osaka's act of care. 

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The photos from the Osaka butterfly incident have since gone viral on Friday, with Australian Open themselves sharing a video on their social media. The Grand Slam's Twitter account claimed that "Even the butterflies in Australia love you". Fans also lauded the 23-year-old for handling the situation with grace and gentle touch, with many even claiming that Osaka should be nicknamed as "The Butterfly" from now on. Another user wrote that 'The way you treat animals, shows a lot about your personality'. Others mentioned that the butterfly could be a sign of good luck and appreciated her in what was an adorable video. 

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Despite the break in rhythm, Naomi Osaka continued her dominance on the court, eventually clinching an easy 6-3, 6-2 victory over Tunisian 27th seed Ons Jabeur. The 23-year-old is known to be great friends with Jabeur and said playing against her on John Cain Arena was "really fun". Osaka will now face Muruguza, who earlier defeated Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas 6-1, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. The two-time Grand Slam winner had lost the summit clash last year to Sofia Kenin.

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Osaka also thanked the fans for coming out and watching them play, with Melbourne set to go into five days' lockdown. This means that stands at the Australian Open will remain empty from Saturday. Australian Open organisers announced Friday that players would compete in a biosecure "bubble" after the host city was ordered into a snap five-day lockdown, with spectators banned.

(Image Courtesy: Naomi Osaka Twitter)