Indian Wells: Naomi Osaka reduced to tears by heckler; irks well-wishers

Former world number one Naomi Osaka, who confessed to suffering from depression last year, was brought to tears by a heckler during her 6-0 6-4 defeat by Veronika Kudermetova at Indian Wells on Saturday. The four-time Grand Slam winner was taunted in the first set by someone in the crowd yelling, "Naomi, you suck".

Speaking on court after the loss, an emotional Osaka said being heckled by a spectator reminded her of the verbal abuse the William sisters were subjected to at the same tournament in 2001. Osaka was playing her third event since taking a break in September.

While holding back tears, the Japanese tennis star said, "I've been heckled before, and it didn't really bother me. But being heckled here. I've watched the video of Venus and Serena getting heckled here, and if you've never watched it, you should watch it. And I don't know why, but it went into my head and got replayed a lot."

Venus pulled out of a semi-final clash against her sister with a knee injury, and when she and her father Richard Williams took their seats to watch Serena's final against Kim Clijsters, the crowd jeered. Serena was also subjected to boos throughout the game.

The legendary siblings' father, Richard Williams, claimed he had been racially abused, while Venus Williams said she "heard whatever he heard". Serena, who went on to win the title, boycotted the competition for 14 years before making her Indian Wells return in 2015.

In an interview in 2021, the American said she was still traumatised by the incident two decades later. "Even when I went back 14 years later, it was very traumatising," Williams said in an interview with Will Smith for "Red Table Talk".

"Talk about post-traumatic stress and mental anxiety. I remember sitting in the bathroom thinking, 'Wait, I'm not gonna go back. I just don't think I should do this. What if they start booing again?' It was really hard for me," Serena added.

Meanwhile, following Osaka's defeat and insult by the crowd, well-wishers of the tennis star took to Twitter to voice their opinion, with a few even demanding that bullying of athletes must stop.

One user said, "Stop bullying black women in sports. Y'all tried it with the Williams sisters. Now with her. None of their haters can hold a candle to them or Naomi Osaka. Stop bullying this talented young lady... it's tasteless."

Reminding people of Osaka's struggles with mental health, another user said, "F**k anyone that thinks it's okay to heckle Naomi Osaka or any other person, especially one that is struggling with mental health and while trying to do their job."

Here's a look at some of the other reactions of Twitter:

Osaka's second-round exit at Indian Wells is the earliest she has been knocked out of a tournament since returning from an indefinite break that began last year after her US Open title defence ended in the third round.

That break was her second of the year, after she withdrew from the French Open amid controversy over her wish not to speak to the media after matches, and revealed she has struggled with her mental health since first becoming a Grand Slam champion in 2018.

The 24-year-old also missed Wimbledon before returning to the sport later in the summer at the Tokyo Olympics, where she lit the flame at the opening ceremony.