Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach Lashes Out at Analyst Over ‘Ridiculous’ Naomi Osaka Criticism in Tense Australian Open Drama

Naomi Osaka found herself in the spotlight during her first match at the Australian Open against Caroline Garcia. The drama unfolded when the electronic line calling system failed to register a point after Garcia’s return appeared to go long. This led to an awkward exchange between Osaka and the umpire, sparking a debate over the call. While it’s common for players to challenge umpires, the former World No. 1 faced criticism for her reaction. However, Serena Williams’ ex-coach quickly rushed to her defense.

On Monday, Osaka started strong against Garcia at Rod Laver Arena, breaking her opponent twice to win the first set 6-3. However, Garcia fought back, taking the second set by the same score, leading to a tense third set. Osaka celebrated a point she thought was out, but the umpire awarded it to Garcia after the electronic review showed it in. “That was out, that was out!” Osaka protested, but the replay disagreed. Despite her frustration, she quickly regrouped and returned to the baseline to continue the match.

While the situation seemed resolved, an X user tweeted about Osaka’s reaction, highlighting a comment made by a British broadcaster. The fan wrote, “David Law @TennisPodcast description of Osaka’s reaction to a bad line call: ‘She went ballistic. Went crazy towards the umpire. She went charging up to the umpire and she said ‘That ball was out!’ And she showed how far out it was with her hands.’ Ballistic? Crazy? Charging?”

The former WTA pro Rennae Stubbs, who coached Serena Williams briefly in 2022, completely disagreed with Law’s assessment, saying, “Wow! Seriously! That’s me being nice when I played… that’s a ridiculous statement and frankly, she was actually responding to the umpire talking to her.”

In the video of the incident, the umpire can be seen debating with Osaka who waited to watch the recap and, after disagreeing once again, she decided to play on. Ultimately, she won the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. However, this isn’t the first time a WTA player has raised concerns about the automated call system in the ongoing Australian Open.

During Sonay Kartal’s Australian Open debut on Sunday, she faced a chaotic start after hours of waiting due to rain delays. Once on the court, she quickly took a 1-0 lead against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. However, things got messy when an electronic line call interrupted play. Both players paused, thinking Bouzas Maneiro’s serve was “out.” They were stunned when the chair umpire awarded Maneiro the point, calling it 15-0. Kartal exclaimed in disbelief, waving her arms as confusion reigned on the court.

On another note, the once-shy Naomi seems to have regained confidence recently. Could her newfound assertiveness be linked to her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou?

Osaka hails her new coach for her improvements this season

Naomi Osaka is making waves at the Australian Open, advancing to the second round and set to face Belinda Bencic on Friday. After struggling with performance issues following her maternity leave and injuries last season, Osaka is turning over a new leaf. She lost her touch after a long hiatus but remained positive, switching coaches to join forces with Patrick Mouratoglou.

During a pre-tournament press conference, she said, “The coaching change happened right before the Asian swing, which was only one tournament, but I felt pretty good about it. With Patrick, he has such a big persona. I’m quite a shy person, so just getting to know him and trusting him and interacting with him a lot more, I think we’ve been able to do that a lot more this tournament. I’m happy about that, and I’m also curious to see what he says too.”

After finishing the year ranked No. 58, Osaka surprised everyone by reaching the finals at the ASB Classic in Auckland, despite withdrawing due to an abdominal injury. Now, she’s back in action at the Australian Open, where she recently defeated Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. “It means a lot,” Osaka said after her victory. She avenged her previous losses to Muchova and is excited about her progress: “Mentally I just really wanted to win a lot.”

As she prepares for her next match against Belinda Bencic, another tough opponent, Osaka’s journey is one of resilience and determination. With her new coaching partnership and a fresh mindset, how far do you think she will go this time around?