Naomi Osaka has made it through to the third round of the Australian Open, but her path there was not without its challenges.
Sorana Cirstea took her all the way to a deciding set before the two-time champion in Melbourne managed to pull away.
There were moments when Osaka’s ball-striking was remarkable. Few players on the WTA Tour can match her blend of power and finesse when she is playing well.
But that same aggression also led to some rash mistakes, with a string of unforced errors costing her the second set.
The headlines were not just about her play, though. It was what she said during her on-court interview that caught everyone’s attention.
Naomi Osaka says sorry after Australian Open clash with Sorana Cirstea
Throughout the match, Cirstea made several complaints and barely acknowledged Osaka at the net after the final point.
The Romanian’s frustration stemmed from Osaka’s frequent talking between first and second serves, a pattern that continued through what turned out to be Cirstea’s last appearance at the tournament.
Osaka addressed those frustrations directly in her on-court interview, responding in kind to some of the comments that had been made during play.
But she later apologised during her post-match press conference, saying: “Well, if I’m being honest, I’ve never been involved in something like this before, so it’s like I don’t know if we’re supposed to leave it on the court and be like, Hey, how you doing?
“I’m a little confused. I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologise. I think the first couple things that I said on the court were disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.
“So yeah, I mean, if she wants to talk about it, then yeah. But, like, when I’m pumping myself up, in my head I’m not like, Okay, now I’m going to distract the other person. It’s purely for me.”
When questioned about her immediate feelings following the handshake, the 28-year-old responded: “Uhm… I just thought, I was like, Huh, that’s interesting. That was my exact thought in my head.
“Like, for me, no one’s ever complained about it before. Also the umpire didn’t tell me, like, I was wrong. The umpire said I was fine. I was like, Okay. That was kind of what I thought. Like, I thought we moved past it, so.”
What did Naomi Osaka say in her on-court interview?
Osaka did not shy away from responding to the complaints during her on-court interview, though she stopped short of directly insulting Cirstea.
When asked about the source of Cirstea’s frustration, she replied: “Apparently a lot of come on’s that she was angry about.”
The crowd reacted loudly, and the 28-year-old continued: “She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so… sorry she was mad about it.”
This is not the first time one of Osaka’s post-match comments has stirred controversy. Just last year, her interview following the Canadian Open final also drew criticism.
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