Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis sensation, has defended the US Open audience amidst a series of controversial incidents during the tournament. She stated that while the crowd “enjoys a show,” they shouldn’t be held responsible for the on-court issues.
The US Open has seen its fair share of drama, including Daniil Medvedev smashing rackets and Stefanos Tsitsipas engaging in a verbal altercation with his opponent over an underarm serve. Medvedev was hit with a hefty fine for his anticsand has since made a big decision by axing his coach.
After her third-round victory against Daria Kasatkina, Osaka commented: “Hey, don’t blame New York. I don’t know what the tea is with Tsitsipas, so I’m not going to say anything, but I don’t know, if you’re like, not calling everyone out name by name, Medvedev’s had a couple moments here that are kind of iconic.”
Osaka pointed out that being in the United States brings out her best behavior, and it’s not fair for tennis stars to scapegoat the crowd for their misconduct.
She further added: “So yeah, I feel like the people here quite enjoy a show, but people everywhere enjoy a show, so, I don’t know if it’s just the part of the season where everyone’s tired and irritated but yeah, for me, New York brings out my best behavior so I don’t know what everyone else is doing.”
Medvedev has dominated headlines at this tournament following his stunning first-round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi. The Russian’s on-court meltdown saw him clash with the chair umpire, destroy his racket in frustration, and even encourage spectators to jeer at officials.
His explosive behavior earned Medvedev a substantial $30,000 penalty, though he’s far from alone in facing disciplinary issues at this year’s US Open. Jelena Ostapenko sparked controversy by claiming American Taylor Townsend lacked “class and education” following her second-round loss to the home favorite.
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This inflammatory remark prompted Osaka to condemn the Latvian’s choice of words, describing it as “one of the worst things you could say to a black tennis player.” Ostapenko subsequently issued an apology, clarifying she intended to reference “tennis etiquette” rather than education in her criticism of Townsend.
Meanwhile, Tsitsipas found himself embroiled in a heated exchange with Daniel Altmaier over the German’s controversial underarm serving tactics, with the Greek star caught on microphone warning: “Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, OK?”.
The Japanese star’s campaign has unfolded far more peacefully by comparison. The 27 year old has displayed her finest tennis in months, advancing smoothly into the round of 16.
In the tournament’s knockout phase, Osaka will battle world No. 3 Coco Gauff on American soil, with a coveted quarterfinal berth at stake.
AloJapan.com