Jelena Djokovic Condemns Naomi Osaka's On-Court Conduct in Heated Australian Open Exchange
Jelena Djokovic, the wife of tennis icon Novak Djokovic, has delivered a pointed critique of Naomi Osaka following the Japanese star's involvement in a tense on-court exchange with Romanian player Sorana Cirstea during the Australian Open. The incident occurred after Osaka secured a hard-fought three-set victory over Cirstea on Thursday night, with the match's conclusion overshadowed by a notably frosty handshake and subsequent verbal sparring.
Osaka's Actions and Post-Match Comments Spark Controversy
During the third set, Cirstea became visibly frustrated when Osaka repeatedly uttered "c'mon" to herself while returning, including between first and second serves. In her on-court interview, Osaka addressed the situation with a mix of nonchalance and apology. "Apparently a lot of c'mons that she was angry about, but whatever," Osaka remarked, eliciting a mixed reaction from the crowd. She added, "She's a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so ... I'm sorry she was mad about it." Later, Osaka expressed regret for any perceived disrespect in her comments.
Djokovic's Detailed Critique on Social Media
Jelena Djokovic, who played tennis in her youth but never turned professional, weighed in heavily on the incident via Instagram comments. She labelled Osaka's behaviour as disrespectful and expressed surprise that the umpire did not intervene. "I'm surprised that this is not being called a hindrance. In between two serves, when crowds are applauding or shouting, the chair ump asks not shout between serves as it is disturbing to the player," Djokovic wrote.
She elaborated further, stating, "The point is not finished. Sorana missed her first serve and is focusing on getting in the second. It is a slight pause. And it is disrespectful to applaud at someone's first serve mistake, too. I am surprised that chair/ Naomi thought that was fair?! Were there any rule changes that I missed?"
In a follow-up comment, Djokovic suggested Osaka's actions were intentionally provocative. "There's nothing wrong with pumping yourself up, and that's not even the point of this comment, sorry I wasn't clear enough," she continued. "It is about when and how. She as a professional player would know that it is definitely NOT in between first and second serve of your opponent. Unless you want to provoke. In this case, I don't see why she is acting surprised at the end that Sorana got provoked."
Navratilova and Cirstea Weigh In on the Incident
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova also questioned Osaka's conduct during the match. "I can get what (Osaka) said after the match because it's kind of in the heat of the moment — she was surprised by Cirstea's reaction at the handshake," Navratilova commented on the Tennis Channel. "But you cannot be talking out loud between first and second serves of your opponent. Cirstea was ready to hit the second serve, and Osaka said 'come on' — that's not right. I don't think she does it on purpose; she doesn't realise it. You can say 'come on' all you want, but keep it inside, do not verbalise it."
Osaka defended her actions, insisting they were solely for self-motivation. "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," she explained post-match. She noted that no opponent had previously complained about her pump-ups and that the umpire raised no issue during the match.
Cirstea, who is retiring at the end of the year, chose to downplay the incident. "I will not talk about that," she stated. "... This is my last Australian Open and so, yeah, I think the moments are bigger to me than to talk about a five-second chat I had with Naomi at the end. No, there was no drama. It was just a five-second exchange between two players that have been on a tour for a long time. It stays between us."
