High-stakes tennis always blurs the line between intensity and etiquette, and Naomi Osaka found herself navigating that gray area at the Australian Open. What began as a tightly contested second-round match quickly turned into a broader conversation about sportsmanship, emotion, and intent after her win over Sorana Cirstea.
Osaka advanced to the third round Thursday, Jan. 22, with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory. But the tennis itself did not end the story. During the match, Osaka repeatedly yelled “come on” between serves, something she framed as self-motivation. Cirstea clearly took issue. At the net, the customary handshake included a brief exchange, with Cirstea visibly upset.
When asked about it in her on-court interview, Osaka addressed the moment candidly and emotionally, getting asked what it took to win. per USAToday.
“Apparently, a lot of ‘come ons’ that she was angry about, but whatever,” Osaka said. “I mean, I tried to play well, I think I hit a lot of unforced errors, but I tried my best.”
She continued while holding back tears, “She’s a great player, I think this was her last Australian Open. So, okay, sorry she was mad about it.”
The remarks themselves were not inflammatory. The delivery, paired with the emotional setting, struck a different tone once Osaka had time to reflect.
Osaka reflects and owns her mistake
Later, during her post-match press conference, Osaka took responsibility and apologized directly. Cirstea is competing in her final Australian Open after announcing her retirement from the tour last year, which added weight to the moment.
“Well, if I’m being honest, I’ve never been involved in something like this before,” Osaka said. “I don’t know if we’re supposed to leave it on the court and be like, ‘Hey, how you doing?’”
She added, “I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologize. I think the first couple things that I said on the court was disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
Osaka also clarified her intent behind the repeated shouts. “When I’m pumping myself up, in my head I’m not like, okay, now I’m going to distract the other person,” she said. “It’s purely for me.”
Osaka now turns her focus back to tennis. She will face Maddison Inglis in the third round at the Australian Open, carrying both momentum and a hard-earned reminder about how emotions can echo beyond the baseline.
