Osaka battles past Cirstea but tempers fray in ‘fair play’ row

The courtside photographer pit was already full 10 minutes before call time inside Margaret Court Arena.

- Tumaini Carayol

Sorana Cirstea and Naomi Osaka exchange words after the latter completed an ill-tempered victory; (below) Osaka emerges without hat and veil

(LUKAS COCH/ AAP IMAGES)

As all cameras pointed directly at the players’ entrance, it was not difficult to understand why they were there.

A day earlier, Naomi Osaka had produced one of the enduring images of the 2026 Australian Open, marching on to Rod Laver Arena in an outfit inspired by a jellyfish. This time, before her gritty, contentious 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 second-round win over Sorana Cirstea, she left the hat and veil back in the locker room.

The reaction to Osaka’s sartorial choices has been fascinating.

Alongside the viral social media posts and criticisms of her fashion instincts, tennis’s old guard have clutched tightly to their pearls. Boris Becker, for example, described Osaka’s outfit as “iconic” but with a caveat. “There is also a contradiction: on the one hand, she doesn’t want to be under so much pressure, she doesn’t want to be in the public eye and in the media so much - and then she comes on to centre court in an outfit like that,’ he said on TNT Sports.

This has been a common refrain whenever Osaka makes any kind of eye-catching decision, a reference to her refusal to participate in post-match press conferences at the French Open in 2021. Osaka later revealed that she had been struggling with depression. For many, that incident determined their outlook on the player. In 125 matches she has played since the 2021 French Open, however, she has participated in media briefings after nearly every one. Five years is a long time and that one incident says little about Osaka at 28 years old.