Naomi Osaka taunted by a heckler in Indian Wells defeat by Veronika Kudermetova
- Planet Sport writer
- 13 March 2022
Naomi Osaka was reduced to tears by a heckler as she crashed to a 6-0 6-4 second-round defeat by Veronika Kudermetova at the BNP Paribas Masters in Indian Wells.
A spectator could be heard shouting "Naomi, you suck" and the former world number one and four-time Grand Slam winner was seen crying as she went to serve in the third game of the first set.
The 24-year-old said the taunting brought back memories of sisters Venus and Serena Williams being heckled at the same tournament in 2001.
Night-time Naomi 🌙@naomiosaka | #IndianWells pic.twitter.com/YYARUXGkhQ
— wta (@WTA) March 13, 2022
The 2018 tournament winner, who missed parts of the 2021 season because of mental health issues, was clearly rattled as she failed to win a game in a torrid opening set but did fight back in the second before world number 24 Kudermetova claimed victory.
Closing out the day with a 💪
— BNP Paribas Open (@BNPPARIBASOPEN) March 13, 2022
Kudermetova upends Osaka 6-0, 6-4 to set up a third round bout with Bouzkova.#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/zp2Jcjjjpa
Speaking through tears on court, Osaka said: "I just wanted to say thank you, I feel like I cry enough on camera.
"To be honest, I've been heckled before, it doesn't really bother me, but being heckled here, I watched a video of Venus and Serena getting heckled here, if you've never watched it you should watch it and I don't know why, but it got into my head and it got replayed a lot."
Osaka missed the French Open and Wimbledon last year and was playing in her first tournament since crashing out of the Australian Open in January at the third-round stage.
Russia's Kudermetova, playing under a neutral banner because of her country's invasion of Ukraine, said: "Naomi was reminded of something that happened with Serena here a few years ago.
"She started to cry because it is similar to what's happened with Serena. But it doesn't matter. I know she's strong, a great person. I think it will be good with her."
Up for grabs on day five on Sunday is a place in the last 16 and third-round highlights include:
[3] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs. [29] Clara Tauson (DEN)
[24] Simona Halep (ROU) vs. [16] Coco Gauff (USA)
[23] Daria Kasatkina vs. [15] Angelique Kerber (GER)
[11] Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs. Petra Martic (CRO)
[28] Liudmila Samsonova vs. Danka Kovinic (MNE)
[25] Madison Keys (USA) vs. Alison Riske (USA)
