Just a day after her first-round victory at Wimbledon, Naomi Osaka found herself amid a social media firestorm as she sat in her friend Taylor Townsend’s box during the American’s first-round matchup against Iga Swiatek.
Townsend took on the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in the first round of Wimbledon but fell to the world No. 3 in three sets on Tuesday. Despite the grueling battle, it was Townsend’s friend, Naomi Osaka, whose presence made headlines. Osaka sat in the direct line of sight of her rival, Swiatek, on the Centre Court.
Credit: The Tennis Letter
Traditionally, the player boxes are reserved for their coaches and other staff members and are rarely occupied by other players who are competing in the same draw of the tournament.
Iga Swiatek’s fans slammed Osaka’s presence on the courtside, labeling it as a calculated distraction for her rival, with many vowing not to watch the Japanese star again.
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Naomi Osaka’s and Iga Swiatek’s Historic Rivalry
Naomi Osaka has battled Iga Swiatek four times in her career, but the Polish star currently leads their head-to-head with a 3-1 record. Swiatek beat Osaka twice on clay and once on a hard court.
They first squared off at the 2019 National Bank Open, where Osaka beat the current world No. 3 7-6(4), 6-4. Then the two met in 2022 at the finals of the WTA 1000 event in Miami, where Swiatek beat Osaka in two sets.
The next meeting between the pair was in 2024 at round two of Roland Garros, where Swiatek once again stood tall against the Japanese star, followed by their final meeting this year at the Rome Open, where the Pole remained standing after knocking down Osaka in two sets at the fourth round.
As per this year’s Wimbledon draw, the two could meet up at the finals if both stars manage to progress through their draws.
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