Being a high-performance athlete in the world of sport comes up with its own set of unique challenges. One such adversity is dealing with criticism and hate on the field. Naomi Osaka, whose rise to stardom began under dramatic circumstances at the 2018 US Open, continues to face the wrath of such unfortunate events on a tennis court.

Recently, the Japanese player was heckled during her second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open. “Naomi, you suck,” shouted someone from the crowd as it completely distracted the former World No.1 and made her emotional. She eventually lost the match to Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets.

Coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s all-out support for Naomi Osaka after Indian Wells incident

As fans and general tennis admirers around the world gathered to show support for Naomi, coach Patrick Mouratoglou also wrote a message on Twitter recently to extend his support.

“I felt for Naomi yesterday… Tough to be in a job that requires to be under the spotlight when you feel so sensitive and vulnerable.”

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As Patrick rightly pointed out, it is definitely not easy for an athlete to soak up the pressure every single time they step on a tennis court. Osaka breaking down yesterday was a prime example of the same.

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Since last year, the Japanese star has been quite vocal about her mental health struggles. She has been taking appropriate steps to protect the same as well. This included stepping away from tournaments and prioritizing her well-being by spending time with her friends and family.

Osaka’s ranking took a big hit due to her limited participation in 2021. She did not feature in any of the events after the US Open. Fast forward to this season, the Japanese star’s woes seem to continue. At the Australian Open earlier this season, Amanda Anisimova stunned her in straight sets.

Osaka addressed the Indian Wells crowd post defeat to Veronika Kudermetova

Coming to her Indian Wells match-up against Kudermetova, Osaka stayed back after the defeat to send a message to the crowd and thanked them for their support.

“To be honest, I’ve gotten heckled before and it didn’t really bother me. But, it’s heckled here, I watched a video of Venus and Serena getting heckled here. If you’ve never watched it, you should watch it. I don’t know why but it went into my head and it got replayed a lot,” Osaka explained as she held back tears.

Every tennis player on both the WTA and the ATP roosters must have faced this situation at one point or the other in their respective careers.

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If Osaka can constantly remind herself that she is a four-time Grand Slam champion and a former World No.1 every time she steps on a tennis court, the momentum could really shift in her favor and fans might see vintage Naomi back in action. It remains to be seen how Osaka bounces back from such a precarious sitauation.