A fan heckled Naomi Osaka from the stands during the first set of her second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
After the match in Indian Wells, California, Osaka requested to address the crowd. She explained why she was upset.
As her voice broke, Osaka said that she had gotten heckled before, but that it didn't bother her. I don't know why, but it went into my head and I had to replay it. I am trying not to cry.
After being broken in the first game of the match against Kudermetova, a woman in the stands shouted, "Naomi, you suck," and Osaka asked the chair umpire if the fan could be kicked out. In between games, Osaka asked if she could use the microphone to speak to the crowd. Both requests were denied.
A supervisor was on the court talking to Osaka. Kudermetova waited behind the baseline for the match to resume after the supervisor told the umpire that they were going to find him.
Kudermetova said that she didn't understand what the lady said because she focused on her game.
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During the 2001 Indian Wells tournament, Venus Williams and her father, Richard, were booed loudly as they took their seats to watch Serena play in the final. Richard may have manipulated the matches between his daughters after Venus withdrew due to an injury. The jeers continued even after Serena defeated Kim Clijsters for the title, as the crowd directed its ire on Serena throughout her match.
Serena and Venus didn't come back until 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Serena said in an interview that the episode still haunted her.
Serena said in an interview with Will Smith that she was traumatizing when she went back 14 years later. I remember sitting in the bathroom and not going back. I don't think I should do this. It was hard for me if they started booing again.
Richard Williams said that the family was the target of several slurs during the match and that it was racially motivated. Osaka is a biracial player.
Osaka withdrew from the French Open ahead of her second-round match, opting out of Wimbledon and then announcing she would be taking a break from the sport after a third-round exit at the US Open. She lost in the third round of the Australian Open, but returned to competition at the start of the season. Her ranking plummeted.
She needed a wild card for entry to the main draw of the tournament, which she did. She will be playing at the Miami Open later this month as a wild card.
Kudermetova will play Marie Bouzkova in the third round at Indian Wells.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.