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‘You Feel So Sensitive and Vulnerable’ – Serena Williams’ Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Stands by Naomi Osaka After Controversial Exit From Indian Wells 2022
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. “Osaka, 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.”
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. https://t.co/q5CZgSDeB4
— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) March 13, 2022
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 and Osaka breaking down yesterday was a prime example for the same.
Since last year, the Japanese star has been quite vocal about her mental health struggles and took appropriate steps to protect the same. This included stepping away from tournaments and prioritizing her well-being by spending time with friends and family.
Even though Osaka’s ranking took a big hit due to her limited participation in 2021, she managed to stay positive and had a great start to her 2022 WTA campaign. At the Australian Open, Osaka was stunned by Amanda Anisimova in straight sets.
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 19, 2022 Japan’s Naomi Osaka in action during her second round match against Madison Brengle of the U.S. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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.
Naomi Osaka didn’t deserve this… pic.twitter.com/sQLbjsT2p3
— dana (@jazdahubi) March 13, 2022
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. 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.
The post ‘You Feel So Sensitive and Vulnerable’ – Serena Williams’ Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Stands by Naomi Osaka After Controversial Exit From Indian Wells 2022 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
