Naomi Osaka’s match at Indian Wells against Veronika Kudermetova left her in tears after a spectator heckled her during the game.
“Naomi, you suck,” a woman from the audience shouted during Osaka’s first set.
The four-time Grand Slam champion appeared to be rattled from that moment forward. After falling 0-3 down, Osaka was reduced to tears.
Osaka then approached the chair umpire and asked if she could address the fan over the microphone. But her request was denied. Instead, tournament officials said they’d find and eject the heckler if the match was interrupted a second time.
The 24-year-old dropped the first set 6-0 to Kudermetova. She lost the next set 6-4, ending her run in the California-based tournament.
Related Story: Venus Williams Withdraws From U.S. Open Following Sister Serena’s Withdrawal From Final Grand Slam
Speaking on court after the match, Osaka said it wasn’t that she found the comment so hurtful but because she was reminded of how Venus and Serena Williams were targeted at Indian Wells in 2001.
“To be honest, I feel like I’ve been heckled before. It didn’t really bother me,” she said. But, like, I’ve watched a video of Venus and Serena being heckled here. If you’ve never watched it, you should watch it,” she added.
Naomi Osaka asked for the microphone after her loss against Veronika Kudermetova. Here’s what she said. pic.twitter.com/0Pj9WnNe4t
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 13, 2022
After Venus withdrew from her scheduled semi-final against Serena with a knee injury, the crowd booed Venus and father Richard when they took their seats to watch the final. Fans heckled Serena as the match went on, while Richard said he was the target of racial slurs.
The Williams sisters famously boycotted Indian Wells for 14 years after the incident, only returning to the California tournament in recent years.
Osaka has been more than transparent about her struggles with mental health and struggled throughout the match after the heckler’s shameful comment.
