Melbourne: Naomi Osaka battled her way into the third round of the Australian Open, overcoming Sorana Cirstea in a tense three-set thriller, but not without stirring debate over on-court etiquette.
The Japanese star won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena on Thursday night, in what was Cirstea’s 18th and final appearance at Melbourne Park before retiring.
The match was overshadowed by a brief but notable moment: Osaka shouted “come on” between Cirstea’s first and second serves in the second set. Tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport criticised the move.
Navratilova, a 59-time Grand Slam champion, told the Tennis Channel, “I can understand why Naomi reacted the way she did—emotions were high—but you cannot speak out loud between first and second serves of your opponent. Cirstea was ready to hit her second serve, and that’s simply not right. You can pump yourself up internally, but do not verbalise it.”
Davenport, the 2000 Australian Open champion, echoed the sentiment: “Osaka has been on tour a long time, and this is something you just don’t do. You can hit your thigh or use other ways to motivate yourself, but yelling between serves crosses the line. It’s basic tennis etiquette 101.”
Osaka, who initially appeared dismissive during the on-court interview, later apologised at a press conference. “I think the first couple of things I said on court were disrespectful. That’s not who I am,” she said, acknowledging the moment may have been misinterpre. She also expressed willingness to discuss the incident privately with Cirstea.
Cirstea downplayed the controversy. “It was just a five-second exchange between two players who have been on tour for a long time. There’s no drama,” she said.
Despite the off-court chatter, Osaka remained focused on her campaign, setting up a third-round clash against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis. Her performance highlighted both her resilience on the court and her ability to navigate scrutiny off it.
Source: NDTV Sports, The India Express
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