Naomi Osaka has apologized for what she deemed a “disrespectful” post-match interview following her victory over Sorana Cirstea.
Osaka and Cirstea were involved in a tense post-match handshake following the No. 16 seed’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory at Margaret Court Arena.
Cirstea took umbrage at Osaka making noise between serves, after the Japanese star was heard saying “come on” after a missed first serve.
The 35-year-old barely looked at Osaka as she shook her hand at the net after the match and, when asked by Osaka what it was about, she told the two-time Australian Open winner: “You have no idea what fair play is.”
When on-field interviewer Chandra Rubin asked a seething Osaka what it took to get past Cirstea, she responded by saying, “Apparently there’s a lot of ‘go ahead’ that makes her angry or whatever.”
“I think it was her last Australian Open, so OK, sorry, she was angry about that,” she said.
Although she said she was “confused” by the exchange, Osaka walked back her initial comments during her post-match press conference shortly after.
“I understand that emotions were very strong for her and I also want to apologize,” she said.
“I think the first things I said on the field were disrespectful and I don’t like to disrespect people. That’s not what I do.
“When I’m pumping up, in my head, I’m not like, ‘OK, and now I’m going to distract the other person.’ It’s purely for me.
“I thought I could have done a lot better.”
Osaka suggested her aggressive celebrations came after feeling “disrespected” during the match.
“I’m not a person who responds well to disrespect,” she said.
Osaka was unusually excited after winning points against Cirstea. (Getty Images: Phil Walter)
“So yeah, I probably overdid it on the next few points, but it’s taking up a lot of my time. I’m very tired now.”
Osaka’s comments came after Cirstea, at her last Australian Open, refused to give further details about the exchange.
“We just talked. Nothing too serious. Again, I don’t think that’s the main thing after tonight’s game,” she told reporters when asked about the handshake.
“Again, it was a good match. She was much better than me towards the end. Yes, she deserved the win. That’s all I’ll say.
“There was no drama. It was just a five-second exchange between two players who had been on tour for a long time. It remains between us.
“I don’t think it’s – again, for me, it was my last match at the Australian Open, so I think I’d like to stick with that.”
Osaka said she had no indication during the match that her conduct was frustrating Cirstea.
“I thought, ‘Um, that’s interesting,’ and that was exactly what I was thinking in my head,” she said.
Cirstea preferred to focus on her final match at the Australian Open rather than the exchange with Osaka. (Getty Images: Phil Walter)
“No one has ever complained about it before and the referee didn’t tell me I was wrong. The referee said I was fine. I thought we were past that stage.
“If I’m honest, I’ve never been involved in anything like this before.
“I don’t know if we’re supposed to leave that on the field and say, ‘Hey! How are you?’ I’m a little confused.”
Osaka will face Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in the third round after Inglis’ stunning victory over Laura Siegemund.
