if you having any understanding of naomi's backstory (and/or japanese culture), you'll know that serena is her idol. like, legitimate idol. homegirl said "i love you" after her semi-final win when a reporter asked her if she had a message for serena going into the final.

and japanese culture, by default, lends itself to caring about the group (fans in the stadium) over the individual. with dual citizenship, she chose to represent japan over the united states, saying her personality was more japanese than american, which it is. everything about her comments and disposition after the match were aligned with the culture. my girl (born in japan) texted me after the match saying "everything she did post-match was straight japanese."

and btw, japanese culture >>> american culture