Naomi Osaka has come under sharp criticism from Novak Djokovic’s wife, Jelena, following a recent controversy involving the Japanese star at the 2026 Australian Open. While Jelena rarely involves herself in matters concerning players beyond her husband, she felt compelled to speak out on this occasion.
After beating Antonia Ruzic in the opening round, Osaka faced Sorana Cirstea in a match that ended on a tense note, marked by a cold handshake and an awkward exchange at the net with the final score standing at 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the former’s favor. The Japanese later explained during her on-court interview that Cirstea was unhappy with her shouting “come on” between first and second serves.
Reacting to the incident, Jelena Djokovic took to Instagram and did not hold back, suggesting that Naomi Osaka was at fault and that the umpire had been “unfair” to Cirstea. She wrote:
Hmm, i’m surprised that this is not being called hindrance In between 2 serves, when crowds are applauding or shouting the chair ump asks to not shout between serves as it is disturbing to the player. The point is not finished. Sorana missed her first serve and is focusing on getting in the second, it is a slight pause. And it is disrespectful to applaud at someone’s first serve mistake too. I am surprised that chair/ Naomi thought that was fair?! Were there any rule changes that I missed.”
As fans began questioning her stance, Jelena Djokovic doubled down with another response, effectively accusing Naomi Osaka of provoking her opponent. She added that, as a seasoned professional and four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka should have been more mindful of her conduct on court.
“There’s nothing wrong with pumping yourself up, and that’s not even the point of this comment, sorry I wasn’t clear enough. It is about when and how. She as a professional player would know that it is definitely NOT in between 1st and 2nd serve of your opponent. Unless you want to provoke. In this case, I don’t see why she is acting surprised at the end that Sorana got provoked. Naomi is being cheered on by her fans for pumping herself, great. I just didn’t see her ever doing this to another player so I thought it was a rule change or something,” Jelena wrote.
Naomi Osaka Apologizes To Sorana Cirstea After Australian Open Drama
Naomi Osaka elaborated on the incident that unfolded during her match against Sorana Cirstea in her post-match press conference. She admitted it was something she had never experienced before and offered a sincere apology to the Romanian, especially considering it was Cirstea’s final Australian Open appearance.
The former World No. 1 said:
“If I’m being honest, I’ve never been involved in something like this before… I’m a little confused but I get that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologize. I think the first couple things I said on the court were disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
Osaka further explained that her “come on” calls were intended to pump herself up and not to intimidate her opponent, adding:
“If she wants to talk about it, then yeah. When I’m pumping myself up, in my head, I’m not like ‘Okay, and now I’m gonna distract the other person.’ It’s purely for me.”
Naomi Osaka will now turn her attention back to her Melbourne campaign, with a clash against home favorite Maddison Inglis expected on Saturday, January 24. It will be the first meeting between the two.
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