Naomi Osaka loves tennis, but tennis doesn't like her back. Osaka is in the news again, but this time for something that happened to her at her workplace. Osaka lost to Veronika Kudermetova in the second round over the weekend. The world's former No. 1 player had a bad day. She got rattled after a woman yelled at her during the first game. That isn't supposed to happen. Not because it's Osaka, but because a game like tennis doesn't allow fan behavior like that. This is not football or basketball. Tennis is supposed to be elegant. It's unacceptable to jeer from the stands. It was allowed to happen. She was not allowed to address the crowd until after the match, after Osaka requested that the fan be removed. Osaka said that she had gotten heckled before, but it didn't bother her. I don't know why, but it went into my head and got a lot of replays. I'm trying not to cry. In the same place where Venus and Serena Williams were once belittled, a young Black and Asian woman is being treated this way. The sport of tennis has never been fond of Black stars, especially when they are women.
Serena Williams wrote about what happened to her at Indian Wells in 2001 in a Time Magazine article. That angered a lot of fans. Integrity has always been the most important thing to me. It is more than that to Venus. The false allegations that our matches were fixed hurt us a lot. The current of racism was confusing and painful. At one of my most cherished tournaments, I suddenly felt unwanted, alone and afraid.
The Williams family boycotted the event for 14 years after Williams won the tournament for the second year in a row. Williams spoke about her experience at Indian Wells last fall.
She talked about post-traumatic stress and mental anxiety. I don't think I should do this. It was hard for me if they started booing again.
The mental anxiety part is important, as it shows how much things can bother someone like Williams, who is revered for her mental toughness. If Indian Wells damaged Williams, you can only guess what Osaka went through on Saturday, triggered by what happened to Venus and Serena when she was three years old. It's not like Indian Wells is the only place that mocks brilliant Black women. It is a part of the system.
In January, we were reminded of how Novak Djokovic took an unnecessary shot at Osaka last spring because she wanted to pay a fine rather than do press conferences after matches. He called her out for not following the rules, but later tried to play in a tournament without being vaccine proof. One of the first questions she was asked when she returned to the court last August was about her mental health.
Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer asked if you were crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format, yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform.
Those who govern tennis, participate in it, cover it, and buy tickets just to boo from the stands got their way when Osaka stepped away from the game.
I don't know when I'm going to play, I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. She said that she was going to take a break from playing.
Osaka was introduced to the world when she defeated Williams in the finals of the U.S. Open, where some in the crowd booed the winner.
She played well and this is her first Grand Slam, Williams said that day with tears in her eyes.
Tennis is the only sport on Earth that demeans their stars. Tennis is the only global sport that has been ruled by Black women for the last three decades and counting. The irony is even worse when you realize that Osaka was heckled by a woman just days after International Women's Day.
After the sport of tennis proved that it doesn't love Osaka, her idols were once again the target of unnecessary provocation at the Critics Choice Awards by another woman.
You are such marvels, Venus and Serena. Jane Campion said during her acceptance speech for best director that she didn't want to play against the guys, as it was another example of how white feminists often dismiss the duality of racism.
I was wrong. Naomi Osaka loves tennis. Black women are hated by society.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
