Photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images When Naomi Osaka took a step back from playing professional tennis in mid 2021, she revealed that she didn’t get joy out of competing anymore. And if you’re wondering what might suck the joy out of being one of the best tennis players in the world, take a look at her most recent experience with a heckler at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Osaka was went head-to-head with Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the second round of the tournament on Saturday, March 12, but was thrown off her game early in the first set when a heckler took advantage of a silent moment to yell, “Naomi, you suck!” Despite support from others in the crowd, the remark clearly affected Osaka, who approached the chair umpire, Paula Viera Souza, to discuss the matter.
Osaka ended up losing the match, but instead of walking off the court to have a moment to herself, she stayed through Kudermetova’s post-game interview and waited to address the crowd herself. “I just wanted to say thank you,” she said, to cheers from supporters.
Osaka, who has spoken about dealing with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, was referencing the 2001 Indian Wells tournament where Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and their father, Richard Williams, were heckled by almost an entire stadium during the finals due to a rumor that her father had fixed the semifinal and essentially gotten Venus Williams to withdraw to allow her sister to get to the finals.
Some folks need a 100 mph tennis ball to their nuts.
Stupid idiot. She should quit