Naomi Osaka brought to tears by heckler at US tournament
Sunday March 13 2022
Naomi Osaka of Japan crys as she speaks with WTA supervisor Clare Wood after play was disrupted by a shout from the crowd during her straight sets defeat against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in their second round match on Day 6 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 12, 2022 in Indian Wells, California. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images/AFP
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was brought to tears by a heckler Saturday on the way to a 6-0, 6-4 loss to Veronika Kudermetova in the Indian Wells WTA hardcourt tournament.
Japan's Osaka, ranked 78th in the world after her third-round exit at the Australian Open, was rocked early in the first set when someone in the crowd yelled "Naomi, you suck."
She pulled herself together to continue, but while she finally seemed to find her range in the second set she couldn't find a way past Kudermetova.
Speaking on court after the match, Osaka said the comment stuck in her head because it reminded her of Venus and Serena Williams being heckled at the tournament in 2001.