The Japanese Naomi Osaka, number 78 of the WTA, burst into tears in the middle of the field of play during her fall against the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (24) in the second round of Indian Wells for a mockery of a spectator.
“Osaka you suck,” a female spectator yelled at the tennis player, who asked the match judge to throw the woman out of the stadium during the match that Kudermetova won 6-0, 6-4.
The Japanese, who also suffered an emotional breakdown at the US Open 2021, even asked for the microphone to speak to the spectators present at the stadium, to whom she reminded them that a similar episode had happened to the American sisters Serena and Venus Williams in Indian Wells.
“Before I came here I saw a video of what happened to Venus and Serena and I don’t know if you know it, you should watch it,” Osaka said of the 2001 episode of the Williams sisters, who have since refused to play the tournament.
On that occasion, Serena Williams was insulted for referring to an alleged injury that led to the withdrawal of Venus, who had to face her younger sister in the semifinal of the tournament.
“I didn’t hear what the spectator said. I was concentrating on my serve. But then I saw that Naomi started crying,” Kudermetova said.
Osaka, former number 1 in the world, broke down in tears in the middle of a press conference after her defeat against the Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the US Open 2021, where she sought to revalidate her title.
The Japanese, who returned to the circuit at the Australian Open 2022, had also given up playing Roland Garros after refusing to comply with the obligation to appear at a press conference after each match, arguing that she suffered from anxiety problems.
In the men’s draw, meanwhile, the Italian Jannik Sinner advanced to the third round of the Masters 1000 m of Indian Wells, from which his compatriots Fuori Lorenzo Sonego, Fabio Fognini and Lorenzo Musetti said goodbye.
Sinner, 20 years old and number 10 in the world, beat Serbian Laslo Djere (52) pn double 6-3 and in the next round he will face French Benjamin Bonzi (62), “executioner” of Sonego (21) with partial 6 -3 and 6-4.
For his part, Fognini (36) did not show up for his match against the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili (18) due to a feverish picture, while Musetti (56) lost to the American Reilly Opelka (17) 6-1 and 6-4 .
