Naomi Osaka backtracks amid 'sorry she was mad about it' Cirstea comment: "The first couple of things I said on court were disrespectful"

Naomi Osaka moved into the third round of the 2026 Australian Open with a hard-fought 6–3, 4–6, 6–2 victory over Sorana Cîrstea, but the tennis itself was only part of the post-match conversation, as Osaka was asked repeatedly about a tense exchange between the pair at the net.

The four-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged the moment was unfamiliar territory for her, admitting she was caught off guard as it unfolded. What was brought up surrounded the use of come on from Osaka which seemed to annoy Cirstea and they had a conversation at the net. “I just thought, like, ‘Huh, that’s interesting,’” Osaka said in her press conference. “And that was my exact thought in my head.”

Asked whether she felt Cîrstea’s reaction stemmed from frustration over anything she had done during the match, Osaka was clear that she did not believe she had crossed any lines. “Honestly, no,” she said. “For me, no one’s ever complained about it before. And also the umpire didn’t tell me I was wrong. The umpire said I was fine. So I was like, OK. I thought we moved past it.”

Cirstea later downplayed the incident in her own press conference, but Osaka admitted she was still unsure how such situations are normally handled, having never experienced something similar before. “If I’m being honest, I’ve never been involved in something like this before,” she said. “So I don’t really know if we’re supposed to leave it on the court and be like, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ I’m a little confused, but I get that emotions were very high for her.”

Osaka also offered an apology for how she initially responded in the heat of the moment, particularly for comments made shortly after the match ended.

Osaka said at the time after being asked what it took to get through that one. "Apparently a lot of come ons that she was angry about. Whatever. She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open. Sorry she was mad about it."

When queried about it she wanted to set the record straight and doesn't want to be labelled as something she is not.“I also want to apologize,” she said. “I think the first couple of things that I said on the court were disrespectful, and I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”

She clarified that her remarks referred to her on-court interview rather than any direct exchange with Cîrstea, confirming the pair had not spoken since leaving the court. “I haven’t seen her,” Osaka said. “I meant my on-court interview, which I thought I could have done a lot better.”

While the handshake incident became a talking point, Osaka admitted it also had an emotional impact on her late in the deciding set. At 4–2 in the third, her vocal celebrations noticeably intensified. "I’m not a person that reacts well to being casually disrespected,” she said. “So I probably overdid it in the next couple of points. But it takes a lot out of me. I’m very tired now.”

Despite the drama, Osaka’s tennis ultimately did the talking. After a second set in which she felt her error count crept up, she reset effectively in the decider, hitting 16 winners while limiting Cîrstea to just two.

“I was just thinking that I hit a lot of unforced errors in the second set,” she explained. “I tried to feel more free in the rallies. I was really focused on hitting to one side or trying to avoid her backhand, so I just kind of gave myself a little bit more grace.”

The match was physically demanding, with Osaka also taking a medical timeout, something she described as part of a recurring issue. “It’s kind of a recurring thing,” she said. “But I’m really glad that I pushed through it and also played really good tennis in the third set. I try to leave the tournament site with that in mind for the next few days.”

Osaka’s ability to rebound was reflected in another telling statistic: she has now won 10 of her last 11 three-set matches at the Australian Open. For her, confidence in her conditioning and affection for the tournament play key roles. “I go into it knowing that my fitness level is pretty good,” she said. “I also really love this tournament, and I want to stay here as long as possible, so that definitely motivates me.”

Away from the controversy, Osaka was also asked about her much-discussed fashion choices, including a more understated look on this occasion after her earlier viral entrance. “My simplified look is very extra for some people,” she joked. “I just felt like switching it up. It’s kind of fun to keep everyone on the edge.”

She revealed that even her sponsor was kept in the dark about some elements of her outfit. “I’m really glad that people like it,” she said. “And I’m glad that Nike wasn’t mad at me. It was kind of a surprise.”

Next up for Osaka is a third-round clash with home favourite Maddison Inglis, a matchup she expects to be lively given the Melbourne crowd. “The crowd is really engaging, and it should be super fun,” she said. “She deserves to be here and she’s going to be a really tough opponent. I don’t think there’s anyone in a Slam who isn’t tough.”

While Osaka will hope the focus returns fully to her tennis as the tournament progresses, her handling of the situation with Cîrstea showed a reflective side, one eager to acknowledge emotions without letting them overshadow the bigger picture. “If she wants to talk about it, then yeah,” Osaka said. “But when I’m pumping myself up, it’s purely for me.”