The four-time grand slam champion was reduced to tears by a heckler at Indian Wells. But abuse from the stands appears to be on the increase
Naomi Osaka’s emotional, tear-filled comments after she was heckled during her second-round loss in Indian Wells on Saturday immediately drew comparisons to the infamous incident at the same tournament in 2001 when the Williams sisters were mercilessly – and unjustly – booed. While the setting was the same and both instances reveal an ugly side of fandom, the circumstances surrounding each are decidedly not similar.
At the 2001 tournament, minutes before a highly anticipated semi-final clash between Venus and Serena (who at that point were already both slam champions), Venus withdrew due to an injury. The next day, during the final between Serena and Kim Clijsters, a significant portion of the crowd heckled and booed Serena, as well as Venus and their father Richard who were watching the match at courtside. Serena eventually won the final as a proud and defiant Richard looked on.
