Naomi Osaka’s second round victory at the 2026 Australian Open ended with a very uncomfortable handshake with her opponent, Sorana Cirstea.
Following Osaka’s three-set victory on Thursday, January 21, the two players met at the net before exchanging in a visibly tense conversation near the chair umpire.
During the third set, Cirstea, 35, complained to the umpire about Osaka, 28, shouting “come on!” repeatedly during the match, including in between her serves.
“Is this OK?” Cirstea asked. “To do ‘come on’ between points?”
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Osaka addressed the encounter during her post-match interview on Margaret Court Arena, when she was asked “what it took” to emerge victorious.
“Apparently a lot of ‘come ons’ that she was angry about, but whatever,” Osaka said, which drew a large reaction from the crowd.
Osaka continued, “I tried to play well. I think I hit a lot of unforced errors, but I tried my best. She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so OK, sorry she was mad about it.”
On-court interviewer Chanda Rubin said, “She was complaining because between the first and second serves she could hear you just trying to pump yourself up, is that the problem?”
“I think so, but like, she could have asked me. Like, girl,” Osaka answered.
Osaka advanced to the third round where she will face Australian qualifier Madison Inglis.
Cirstea announced the 2026 season would be her last in a December 2025 social media post.
“I love tennis. I love the discipline, the routines, the hard work. The competition and the adrenaline fuel my soul,” Cirstea wrote. “But like everything in life, it must come to an end.”
She added, “I never expected to compete for such a long time, but the last couple of years have been my happiest on court and they just kept me going.”
Osaka, meanwhile, has gone viral for more than just the curt handshake with Cirstea at this year’s Australian Open.
Her jellyfish-inspired outfit made waves on social media after she debuted it during her first round match against Antonia Ružić on Tuesday, January 20.
“When I look back at the players who came before me, I think about how those moments — those looks — have become memories that live forever,” Osaka told Vogue in a story published on Tuesday.
She added, “This felt like a moment where I could write a little bit of my own.”
The tennis superstar drew inspiration for the look from reading a book to her daughter Shai, 2, who she shares with her ex, rapper Cordae.
“There was an image of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her she got so excited,” Osaka said.
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Osaka told Nike about her inspiration, who helped turn it into reality.
“It translated beautifully into the movement and fluidity of the sheer layers on the dress and the jacket,” Osaka said. “When I saw it during the fitting, I remember thinking, ‘This is beautiful,’ but also feeling like the story wasn’t fully finished yet.”
Osaka then turned to designer Robert Wun, who helped complete the look.
“The birth of something new,” Osaka said of the outfit. “It felt symbolic of energy, transformation, and excitement.”
