INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Naomi Osaka, fighting through tears on court after being heckled by a spectator, was knocked out of the BNP Paribas Open in the second round on Saturday 6-0, 6-4 by the No. 21 seed, Veronika Kudermetova.
Osaka, the Japanese superstar who has struggled with her mental health and with ambivalence toward professional tennis, spoke to the crowd directly at her request after the defeat.
Fighting for composure, Osaka explained that the heckler, who shouted, “Naomi, you suck!” after the opening game, had made her flash back to footage she had seen of Venus and Serena Williams being booed and jeered at Indian Wells during the event in 2001.