Novak Djokovic’s Wife Questions Naomi Osaka’s On-Court Conduct Against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open

Naomi Osaka will face Maddison Inglis in the third round of the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic’s Wife Questions Naomi Osaka’s On-Court Conduct Against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open

Sorana Cirstea, Naomi Osaka, Jelena Djokovic (X/AFP/Dannyfan)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Novak Djokovic’s wife, Jelena Djokovic, has raised questions regarding Naomi Osaka’s actions during a dramatic Australian Open match on Thursday (January 22). Osaka was caught in the heat of a frosty handshake between her and 35-year-old Sorana Cirstea in the second round of the Grand Slam event.

Osaka was the center of attraction in her opening match at the Australian Open after wearing a fashionable kit to the court. The Japanese star wore a Jellyfish-inspired walk-on outfit, that had butterfly designs all over. The outfit made a style statement in the Grand Slam event but got some former players like Boris Becker criticizing it.

However, in the second round of the tournament, Osaka took to the court with the same style and energy. During her match against Cirstea, things began to turn intense after Osaka yelled to the Romanian star “C’mmon” multiple times in an attempt to hype herself before every first and second serve of Cirstea.

Cirstea was not well pleased with it and at one point told the chair umpire to talk to Osaka, but she didn’t oblige to do so. Osaka went on to win the match 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 after over two hours on the court. But as both players got to the net, Cirstea gave Osaka a frosty handshake, which led to the former World No.1 getting into a minor argument with the 35-year-old.

Nonetheless, Novak Djokovic’s wife, Jelena, was not content with how things panned out in the match as she criticized the chair umpire for not taking Osaka’s tactics seriously. She also added in a post on social media that Osaka’s actions towards Cirstea were disrespectful and labeled it a hindrance to the Romanian star:

I’m surprised that this is not being called a hindrance. In between 2 serves, when crowds are applauding or shouting, the chair ump asks 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?

Afterwards, Cirstea, who previously announced that the 2026 season would be her last on tour as she’s looking forward to retirement, accused Osaka of talking between serves, but was reluctant to discuss the issue that they talked about after their frosty handshake at the net after the three-set loss.

Naomi Osaka reveals the reason behind her actions during her second-round match at the Australian Open

Naomi Osaka has sealed her place in the third round of the 2026 Australian Open. She’s seeking to win her fifth major title at the event and first Slam since lifting the 2021 Australian Open. For the first time since returning from maternity leave, she has begun to play consistently on the court, winning two three-set matches at this year’s Melbourne Grand Slam.

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka (Image via X/Sky Sports)

After the controversial issue with Sorana Cirstea in the second round, Osaka took a conciliatory tone in her press conference. She noted that her actions stemmed from the heightened emotional level of the match and has never been involved in this kind of situation since the start of her professional tennis:

I’ve never been involved in something like this before, so 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. I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologise. I think the first couple of things that I said on the court were disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people.

Osaka will face Maddison Inglis in the third round of the tournament. Inglis stunned Laura Siegemund in the second round despite playing the doubles and mixed doubles in Melbourne. Should Osaka defeat the Australian star, she’s likely to face Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the Grand Slam event.

Also Read: Caitlin Clark Honored with 24th Birthday Tributes From Tennis ‘GOAT’ Billie Jean King