Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea left the Australian Open court angry at rival Naomi Osaka, who defeated her in the second round of the Grand Slam.
Japan's Osaka won 2-1 in sets (6-3, 4-6, 6-2) in a match in which Kirstea complained to the referee several times about her opponent's behavior.
"Is she allowed to do this?" Kirstea asked the umpire after Osaka cheered loudly between games, shouting, "Come on!"
After the match, the rivals came to the net to say goodbye, but Kirstea barely extended her hand to Osaka, who asked her: "What's your problem?"
Osaka then added fuel to the fire in an on-court interview immediately after the match.
Asked what was decisive in the match against Kirstie, Osaka replied: "It seems like a lot of those 'haydees' that made her angry."
Then asked if Kirstea complained because she heard Osaka trying to cheer herself up between the Romanian's first and second serves, the former world number one replied: "I think so, but she could have asked me. I'm sorry."
"She's a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so I'm sorry she was upset about it."
Look here all those incidental moments.
At the press conference that followed, Osaka apologized for her comments about Kirstie, who is retiring from tennis at the end of the 2026 season after 20 years on the WTA Tour.
"I'm a little confused. I guess her emotions were very high. And I would like to apologize to her," said the four-time Grand Slam champion.
"The first few things I said in the interview on the field were disrespectful, and I don't like to disrespect people. I don't do that."
However, Kirstea said that “there was no drama” between her and Osaka.
"It was just a five-second exchange between two players who have been on the tour for a long time."
“That stays between us,” said the 35-year-old Romanian.
"Look, this is my last Australian Open. I've been playing for 20 years."
"It's much more than a five-second argument with Naomi."
Osaka took to the court in a slightly different version of the jellyfish-inspired outfit that stunned spectators two days ago.
She decided not to wear the white hat and veil this time, and she also arrived without a white umbrella - but that didn't stop some fans in the stands from trying to imitate the already iconic look.
“It’s just something fun that I like to do on the court,” Osaka said of her outfit choice.
"I don't really talk much, but I like to express myself through clothes and I'm really glad you liked it."
Osaka is hoping to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open for the first time since winning the tournament for the second time in 2021.
In the third round, she will face Australian Madison Inglis.
The old people are fighting back.
Watching the men's matches at the Australian Open, you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time.
But your eyes don't deceive you.
Seventeen years after they first appeared together in the third round of the Australian Open, Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic are still in great form.
While Djokovic (38) and Cilic (37) easily cruised through three sets against Francesco Maestrelli and 21st seed Denis Shapovalov, 40-year-old Wawrinka played a marathon five-set match that lasted four and a half hours - ultimately defeating Frenchman Arthur Gao.
“I think it’s great,” said Wawrinka, who is the first player to reach the third round of men’s singles at a Grand Slam tournament after his 40th birthday since Ken Rosewall at the 1978 Australian Open.
"I've seen Cilic win. He got injured last year [so] it's good to see him at the right level."
"Novak is already a league above, a special class. We never compare ourselves to him. He will always be there as long as he plays."
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