Naomi Osaka has apologised for “disrespecting” Sorana Cirstea following a tense exchange between the two players after their Australian Open second-round match.
Osaka secured a 6-3 4-6 6-2 victory over the Romanian but the post-match handshake was noticeably frosty. After a brief shake of hands, Cirstea appeared to speak to Osaka near the umpire’s chair before walking away.
During her on-court interview, Osaka was asked what it took to overcome Cirstea. She replied: “Apparently a lot of ‘come ons’ that she was angry about.” When asked if the issue related to Osaka motivating herself between Cirstea’s serves, the former world number one said: “I think so, but like, she could have asked me. I’m sorry.
“She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so sorry she was mad about it.”
Speaking later at a press conference, Osaka acknowledged her comments had crossed a line and offered an apology.
“I’m a little confused. I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologise,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion. “I think the first couple of things that I said on the court were disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
Cirstea, 35, later played down the incident, insisting there was no lingering issue between the two.
“There is no drama,” she said. “It was just a five-second exchange between two players that have been on the tour for a long time. It stays between us.
“Look, this is my last Australian Open. I’ve been playing for 20 years. There’s more going on than a five-second discussion at the end that I had with Naomi.”
Cirstea is due to retire at the end of the 2026 season, bringing an end to a two-decade career on the WTA Tour.
