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Naomi Osaka Apologizes After Disrespecting Sorana Cirstea

Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cirstea shared a frosty handshake before a heated exchange after their match at the Australian Open.
Pat Benson|
Naomi Osaka during her win over Sorana Cirstea at the 2026 Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka during her win over Sorana Cirstea at the 2026 Australian Open. | IMAGO / AAP

On Thursday night, Naomi Osaka defeated Sorana Cirstea in three sets during their second round match at the Australian Open: 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. However, the battle was far from over after the match.

After an icy handshake at the net after the match, Osaka and Cirstea exchanged words as they walked towards the umpire's chair. Osaka took jabs at Cirstea during her on-court interview before eventually apologizing for her remarks during her post-match press conference.

So what happened between the two players to cause such a dust-up? While it is difficult to know everything that transpired on the court, it was clear that Cirstea took exception to Osaka shouting "Come on" between Cirstea's first and second serves during the match.

Fans and media agree it was bad form on Osaka's part, with the television commentators even commenting on it during the broadcast. Check out the frosty handshake followed by the heated exchange in the social media video below.

When asked about the exchange during her on-court interview, Osaka said, "Apparently, a lot of 'come ons' that she was angry about, but whatever. I mean, I tried to play well, I think I hit a lot of unforced errors, but I tried my best. She's a great player, I think this was her last Australian Open, so… Okay, sorry she was mad about it."

When asked about her yelling during the match, Osaka tried to imitate what happened during the match, but stopped midway as she was clearly upset and holding back tears.

After having some time to cool off, Osaka offered an apology during her post-match press conference. "If I'm being honest, I've never been involved in something like this before. I don't know if we're supposed to leave it on the court and be like 'Hey, how you doing?' I'm a little confused, but I get that emotions were very high for her, and 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. 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."

Osaka confirmed that she had not seen or spoken to her opponent since the match and clarified, "I haven't seen her. I meant on my on-court interview, which I thought I could've done a lot better."

Cirstea, 35, announced last month that she would retire at the end of the 2026 season after 20 years on the WTA Tour. Osaka will face Maddison Inglis in the third round tomorrow.

The 2026 Australian Open runs through January 31 for the women and February 1 for the men. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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