Naomi Osaka Slams People Who ‘Don’t Know Anything About Tennis’ Call Grunting ‘Unsportsmanlike’

Naomi Osaka withdrew from the two WTA 1000 tournaments of the Middle East swing.

Naomi Osaka Slams People Who ‘Don’t Know Anything About Tennis’ Call Grunting ‘Unsportsmanlike’

Naomi Osaka (Image via X/Tiempo De Tenis)

In Short
  • Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open and Qatar Open due to an abdominal injury.
  • She criticized those unfamiliar with tennis for calling grunting "unsportsmanlike."
  • Osaka announced plans to start a podcast with Taylor Townsend, joking they might get canceled after one episode.

After a dramatic second-round win over Sorana Cirstea, Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from her third-round match against Maddison Inglis at the Australian Open due to a lingering abdominal injury. The injury also forced her to skip the ongoing Qatar Open.

And now, the 28-year-old has also pulled out of the second WTA 1000 event, the Dubai Tennis Championships, as well. Osaka made global headlines at the Australian Open due to her jellyfish-inspired outfit, receiving mixed reactions from the tennis world. Critics told her to focus on tennis instead of making fashion statements.

Osaka, however, pays no heed to such comments. She also thinks those people who don’t know much about tennis shouldn’t start a tennis podcast and even laughed at those who think grunting is unsportsmanlike.

I laugh when people that don’t know anything about tennis start a podcast about tennis. What do you mean grunting is unsportsmanlike and it gives you ick? What a different sport lol

Naomi Osaka wrote

She later shared the same on her Instagram story and captioned the post with: “Cause who gave them a microphone? Take it awayyyyyyy.”

Check out her post here:

Naomi Osaka's Instagram story (2)
Naomi Osaka’s Instagram story (2)

It’s uncertain whether Osaka would be able to return to tennis at Indian Wells, where last year, she lost to Camila Osorio in the first round. Osaka hasn’t yet won a title since winning her fourth Grand Slam trophy at the 2021 Australian Open by defeating Jennifer Brady. And since then, she has featured in three finals, including last year’s ASB Classic and the Canadian Open, losing both to Clara Tauson and Victoria Mboko, respectively.

Naomi Osaka to start a podcast with Taylor Townsend

Naomi Osaka and Taylor Townsend share a close friendship, and they even vacationed together during the off-season last year. Osaka even took a jibe at Jelena Ostapenko for her “no class, no education” comment on Townsend. In an Instagram story, Osaka revealed that she and Townsend are going to start a podcast.

Taylor Townsend (via X/Rena Williams)
Taylor Townsend (Image via X/Rena Williams)

Me and @tay_taytownsend are gonna start a podcast. We would get canceled after the first episode though #nofilter.

Naomi Osaka wrote

Check out her post here:

Naomi Osaka's Instagram story (2)
Naomi Osaka’s Instagram story (2)

Townsend has also not competed in any tournament since the Australian Open, where, in singles, she lost to countrywoman Hailey Baptiste in the first round. In doubles, she and Katerina Siniakova were defeated in the quarterfinals by Aleksandra Krunic and Anna Danilina.

And in mixed doubles, Townsend and Nikola Mektic lost to John Peers and Olivia Gadecki in the semifinals. In an Instagram video, Townsend explained the reason behind withdrawing from the Middle East swing.

Hey guys, so I wanted to give you guys a little bit of an update on what’s been going on and why I pulled out of some of the tournaments. So, I had a personal matter at home that came up regarding my son, and I needed to be here for him as his mother through this transitional period. Being a mother is the most important thing to me, and as much as I love tennis, I love my son way more. So that is why I had to pull out of the events.

Townsend will be making her comeback at the WTA 250 ATX Open, which is scheduled to start on February 23 in Austin. She will need a wild card to participate in the singles main draw event. After the tournament, the 29-year-old will be featuring at Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and the Charleston Open. Townsend, whose main partner is Siniakova, will instead be pairing up with Storm Hunter at the ATX Open doubles event.

Also read: Boris Becker Slammed for Recently Criticizing Emma Raducanu: “A Mean-Spirited Opinion”