Naomi Osaka was caught up in controversy at the Australian Open after her second-round match against Sorana Cirstea.
Cirstea took issue with an element of Osaka’s behaviour, claiming the two-time Melbourne champion was shouting ‘come on’ between her first and second serves.
The tension boiled over during the post-match handshake, with an intense exchange of words witnessed at the net.
Osaka later apologised for ‘disrespecting’ Cirstea at the net, while defending her on-court actions as a way to motivate herself.
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Osaka was unable to escape criticism for her on-court actions, with Jelena Djokovic labelling the Japanese player’s conduct as ‘disrespectful’.
Kim Clijsters, a four-time Grand Slam champion, has since weighed in on the matter.
Kim Clijsters reacts to Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open behaviour
Speaking on the Love All podcast, Clijsters said: “I don’t think it would have bothered me because I would not have wanted the effect of it to show that it bothered me. I am sure I would have been like, wait, what are you doing? But I don’t want to get caught up in that and for it to have an impact on me.
“But I do think there was definitely a generational impact, where I don’t think anybody ever did that in however many years I was on tour. I don’t remember.
“I remember Bartoli one time in Stanford started waving her racket and going left and right and squeaking her shoes and jumping back and forth and I gave her a look like, really?
“To me I did not catch on to it earlier in the match that she did that. She was very open about it and Naomi shared that she was trying to pump herself up.
“Where do you draw the line? You hear the chair umpire sometimes say if someone in the crowd yells out and says ‘come on’ they’ll say quiet in-between first and second serve. So where do you draw the line to say it’s okay for a player or an opponent to do it?
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“Because it does have an effect on your opponent. You hope it could have a bit of a mental impact on the serve a little bit, I am sure that is a consequence of whether you just do it to pump yourself up or you do it for that kind of mental advantage.”
Not everyone criticised Osaka’s behaviour in the aftermath of the incident. Journalists Catherine Whitaker and Matt Roberts defended Osaka, with Whitaker arguing that Cirstea’s actions had been ‘pretty graceless.’
After defeating Cirstea, Osaka withdrew from her third-round match due to an abdominal injury.
Will Naomi Osaka break into the top 10 this season?
Naomi Osaka has not been a top 10 player since September 27, 2021. Could 2026 be the year she returns to the pinnacle of the WTA Tour.
The former world number one has put herself in a great position to do so. She is ranked 14th in the world and has the quality to rise even further as the year progresses.
| Year | Best ranking |
| 2012 | 1016 |
| 2013 | 403 |
| 2014 | 238 |
| 2015 | 143 |
| 2016 | 40 |
| 2017 | 44 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 42 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 | 14 |
Naomi Osaka is not competing in the Abu Dhabi Open or Ostrava Open, and these absences have allowed Clara Tauson to leapfrog Osaka into the 14th spot.
Tauson has reached the Abu Dhabi Open quarter-finals, and could extend her advantage over Osaka if she defeats McCartney Kessler on Thursday.
