Naomi Osaka Breaks Down In Tears After Heckler Screams ‘You Suck’ During Indian Wells Match

perezhilton.com:

Naomi Osaka’s tennis match at the BNP Paribas Open over the weekend took an emotional turn… The athlete was playing against Veronika Kudermetova at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden outside of Palm Springs on Saturday when a woman from the crowd suddenly screamed: The comment instantly affected Naomi, who has been open about her struggles with mental health, as she looked completely shaken in the middle of the court.

She was quick to defend herself, requesting to have the person removed from the stands. However, the chair umpire Paula Vieira Souza responded that it would be hard to identify who it was that made the rude comment.

Still, the tennis pro wasn’t giving up! During a break in the play after the second game, she asked the umpire if she could use the mic to address the crowd, saying: Related: Princess Charlene Returns Home Months After Entering Treatment Facility For Health Issues A tearful Naomi then spoke with WTA Tour supervisor Claire Wood, who could be overheard telling her: However, her request to speak to the crowd was denied, and the game continued.

According to The Desert Sun, tournament officials told Naomi that they would find and remove the heckler if she interrupted the competition again.