Naomi Osaka of Japan speaks with WTA supervisor Claire Wood after play was disrupted by a shout from the crowd during her straight-sets defeat. Photo / Getty Images
Naomi Osaka of Japan speaks with WTA supervisor Claire Wood after play was disrupted by a shout from the crowd during her straight-sets defeat. Photo / Getty Images
Naomi Osaka has been brought to tears by a heckler in an ugly incident during her second round match against Veronika Kudermetova at Indian Wells.
The Japanese star stopped play during the second game of the first set to approach the chair umpire asking them to do something about a person who was shouting at her.
Multiple reports indicate the person screamed out "Naomi, you suck". The umpire said nothing could be done because she didn't know who the culprit in the crowd was.
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, wipes away tears as she leaves the court after losing her match to Veronika Kudermetova, of Russia. Photo / AP
Tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg tweeted: "Rough, strange scenes on Indian Wells Stadium.
"Confirmed from a couple people that the woman in the stadium shouted "Naomi, you suck!", not something directed at Kudermetova (or Russia) after all.
"Osaka considerably rattled by it, there's an official out talking to her on this changeover as she's down 0-3."
Some douchebag screamed out "Naomi, you suck" during Osaka's match happening right now. She's shook, lost the first set 6-0 to someone she should be dismantling.
A clearly rattled Osaka was in tears as she prepared to serve her next game and proceeded to lose the first set 6-0.
She then spoke to the court supervisor and while most of their conversation was inaudible on the broadcast, the supervisor told the umpire: "If it happens again, we're going to find him."
Osaka played on and lifted her level in a high-quality second set but Kudermetova, one of the most in-form players of the season, closed out the set 6-4 to seal victory.
Osaka congratulated the Russian and remarkably addressed the crowd on court after the match.
An emotional Osaka explained the heckling brought back memories of the infamous incident at Indian Wells in 2001 when Serena Williams was booed during a match.
The ugly episode involved accusations of racism and allegations Williams' father Richard fixed the results of matches between Serena and Venus Williams.
Osaka leaves the court after losing her match to Kudermetova. Photo / AP
The two sisters subsequently boycotted Indian Wells for 14 years until Serena returned to the event in 2015.
Extraordinary to see Osaka address the crowd after a heckler spoiled her match, and reference the notorious Indian Wells incident w/ SW 20yrs ago. “You should watch the video,” she tells crowd. pic.twitter.com/xZg6jn0Xoi
Osaka told the crowd: "You should watch the video (of the Serena Williams incident)."
The four-time grand slam champion has been open about her battles with "long bouts of depression", which she said started at the US Open in 2018, when she defeated Serena Williams in the final.
Osaka pulled out of last year's French Open over her decision to boycott media press conferences. She also missed last year's Wimbledon but has since returned to the tour.
