Naomi Osaka Has Dramatic Handshake With Opponent at 2026 Australian Open

Naomi OsakaHer second-round win at the 2026 Australian Open ended in a very uncomfortable handshake with her opponent, Sorana Cristea.

Following Osaka’s three-set win on Thursday, January 21, the two players met at the net before engaging in a visibly tense conversation near the chair umpire.

During the third set, Cristia (35 years old) complained to the referee about Osaka (28 years old) and shouted, “Come on!” Repeatedly during the match, including between her serves.

“Is this okay?” Cirstea asked. “Do you do ‘come on’ between the dots?”

Osaka spoke about the encounter during her post-match interview on Margaret Court, when she was asked “what it will take” for her to emerge victorious.

“Obviously there were a lot of offenses that she was angry about, but whatever,” Osaka said, which sparked a huge reaction from the crowd.

Osaka continued: “I tried to play well. I think I made a lot of unforced errors, but I did my best. She’s a great player. I think that was her last time at the Australian Open, so well, sorry she was angry about that.”

Axes on the field Chanda Robin She said: “She was complaining because between the first and second serves she could hear you trying to pump up your energy. Is that the problem?”

“I guess so, but she could have asked me. Like, girl,” Osaka replied.

Osaka qualifies for the third round, where she will face qualifier Australia Madison Inglis.

Cirstea announced that the 2026 season would be her last in a social media post in December 2025.

“I love tennis. I love discipline, routine and hard work. Competition and adrenaline feed my soul,” Christia wrote. “But like everything in life, it must end.”

She added: “I never expected to compete for such a long time, but the last two years have been the happiest years for me on the field and they have helped me keep going.”

Meanwhile, Osaka went viral for more than just her rude handshake with Cristea at this year’s Australian Open.

Her jellyfish-inspired outfit caused a stir on social media after she debuted it during her first round match against Antonia Roitsch On Tuesday, January 20th.

“When I look at the players who came before me, I think about how those moments – those looks – became memories that live forever,” Osaka said. Vogue magazine In a story published on Tuesday.

She added: “I felt like it was a moment when I could write a little of my own work.”

The tennis star was inspired by reading a book to her daughter tea2, which she shares with her former rapper Corday.

“There was a picture of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her, she got so excited,” Osaka said.

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Coco Gauff is sharing her side of the story after receiving backlash for her criticism of American tennis fans. “I’ll make it clear because people are taking this out of context. I don’t expect people to travel to tournaments to watch us play. But there are a lot of tournaments that we organize in America and in America.” […]

Osaka told Nike about her inspiration, which helped her make it a reality.

“It translated beautifully in the movement and flow of the sheer layers on the dress and jacket,” Osaka said. “When I saw it during the installation, I remember thinking, ‘This is beautiful,’ but I also felt like the story wasn’t quite finished yet.”

Then Osaka turned to the designer Robert WonWhich helped complete the look.

“The birth of something new,” Osaka said of the outfit. “It felt like a symbol of energy, transformation and excitement.”