Chris Evert Called ‘Annoying’ During Tense Naomi Osaka–Amanda Anisimova US Open Clash

It was Amanda Anisimova who finally came out on top at the end of her three-set thriller with 4x Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Now, the Belarusian tiger lies in wait for her in the summit clash, hungry to get back at her for the Wimbledon upset. But as the dramatic semifinal match went on, the tennis community found an annoyance. 

The world of tennis has often thrashed the former world number one-turned-ESPN commentator for her broadcasting skills. But this time, the fans found it troublesome because of the commentator’s repetitive take on on-court coaching. The match between Anisimova and Osaka was getting tense. Before the American won the third set with 6-3, both players had a chance to claim a win. Osaka won the first set with a score of 7-6, while Anisimova won the tiebreaker in the second set. But that became a reality because of a little bit of help from the coaches. And Chris Evert did not like that. 

The International Tennis Federation began implementing on-court coaching across all Grand Slams in 2023. However, Chris Evert wasn’t really a fan of that. But there are still some instances where coaches have been punished for on-court coaching. Take Stefanos Tsitsipas‘ father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, for example. He got a warning for shouting instructions to his son from the sidelines. 

That context set the stage for the 2025 US Open semifinal between Naomi Osaka and Amanda Anisimova. Tomasz Wiktorowski in Osaka’s corner and Hendrik Vleeshouwers in Anisimova’s actively offered tactical guidance from the sidelines, while both players looked toward them for input. Evert, staying consistent with her long-held views, repeatedly called out the reliance on coaching during the broadcast. In her view, athletes should shoulder the responsibility of making in-match adjustments themselves. Their coaches should have no input whatsoever.

But when Evert kept repeating their references, the fans got agitated.

And the fans flooded X with their viewpoints when Evert kept revisiting the reference about the players’ coaches’ role in a tournament. Let’s see what the tennis fans had to say…

Fans refuse to listen to Chris Evert as Naomi Osaka and Amanda Anisimova battle at the US Open semifinal

One fan claimed that Evert was pretty annoying. And the reason? According to the fan, Chris Evert seemed stuck at only one reference. The comment read, “Chris Evert takes are very condescending and it’s so annoying- @usopen @espn I mean coaching is literally LEGAL- The top men gets coached play by play- and that’s all she keeps referencing 😕 like we get it, players should figure it out. Noted. Please move on- #OsakavsAnismova.” Another fan added to the sentiment and wrote, “Can someone ask Chris Evert what she thinks about players looking to their coaches for input. I’m not sure we know her opinion after commenting on it 742 times….”

Furthermore, a few fans thrashed Evert for her apparent favoritism. According to some people, she was supporting Osaka a bit more than Anisimova. One fan noted that and wrote, “Is it even possible for Chris Evert to suck up more to Osaka during this match?  Just be quiet!” Another fan called out her bias and claimed, “Perhaps you could encourage Chris Evert to call a match  with less bias. Renee Stubbs is great. Pam Shriver needs to go.” Well, this wasn’t the first time Evert showed hints of partiality in her commentary. Not too long ago, fans dissed her for ignoring Osaka and favoring Coco Gauff in her words. 

Meanwhile, one of the fans decided to make a quick suggestion. According to him, Evert could possibly go on a break. It wasn’t necessary to say something after every single shot. The comment read, “Chris Evert is fine if she would not have to make an obvious comment after every shot. Take a break.” 

This is a developing story… Meanwhile, don’t miss a beat from the ongoing 2025 US Open by visiting the EssentiallySports Live Blog!