Jelena Djokovic, the wife of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, weighed in on a video circulating online that showed Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cirstea exchanging words at the net following Osaka’s second-round 6–3, 4–6, 6–2 victory in the Australian Open at Margaret Court Arena.
Djokovic’s comments appeared to side with Cirstea, who accused Osaka of causing distractions between serves. Reacting to the clip, Djokovic questioned whether Osaka’s actions should have been penalized. “Hmm, I’m surprised that this is not being called hindrance,” Djokovic wrote.
She elaborated further by pointing to the timing of the celebration, emphasizing tennis etiquette and in-play rules. “In between 2 serves, when crowds are applauding or shouting, the chair ump asks not to shout between serves as it is disturbing to the player. The point is not finished. Sorana missed her first serve and is focusing on getting in the second, it is a slight pause. And it is disrespectful to applaud at someone’s first serve mistake too.”
She added, “I am surprised that the chair / Naomi thought that was fair?! Were there any rule changes that I missed?!” Djokovic later clarified that her criticism was not directed at Osaka’s celebrations in general, but rather the moment in which they occurred.
“There’s nothing wrong with pumping yourself up,” she wrote. “It is about when and how. She as a professional player would know that it is definitely not in between 1st and 2nd serve of your opponent. Unless you want to provoke.”
Sorana Cirstea wasn't a fan of Naomi Osaka hyping herself up 😳 pic.twitter.com/XPSsNLNQPn
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) January 22, 2026
The exchange stemmed from a tense moment in a match that marked Cirstea’s final Australian Open appearance. The Romanian announced in December that she plans to retire following her 20th season on the WTA Tour.
Cirstea appeared visibly frustrated by Osaka’s repeated self-cheering, including audible “c’mon” calls. After the match, Osaka addressed the situation and initially downplayed the issue.
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“Apparently, a lot of ‘c’mons’ that she was angry about, but whatever,” Osaka said. “I mean, I tried to play well, 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.”
Osaka later issued an apology and became visibly emotional while explaining her actions, expressing regret over how the situation unfolded. “She could have asked me (to stop) … I’m sorry,” said Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion.
She added, “Honestly … no one’s ever complained about it before. Also, the umpire didn’t tell me I was wrong. The umpire said I was fine. Like, I thought we moved past it.”
Osaka added that she was open to addressing the matter privately and acknowledged that tensions were high in the moment. “I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologize. I think the first couple things that I said on the court was disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
Cirstea later moved to downplay the incident, suggesting it was a minor on-court exchange rather than a lasting dispute. “There was no drama. It was just a five-second exchange between two players that have been on tour for a long time. It stays between us.”
Naomi Osaka Incident Sparks Fresh Debate Over Tennis Etiquette And Rules
The incident has reignited broader discussion about how hindrance rules are interpreted and enforced at the highest levels of tennis. Under current regulations, umpires may call hindrance if a player deliberately distracts an opponent, including through verbal actions, with rulings often hinging on timing, intent, and the chair umpire’s discretion.
In this instance, the chair umpire did not penalize Naomi Osaka, a point she later cited in her defense. Jelena Djokovic’s remarks, however, reflected a wider debate within the sport over whether vocal self-encouragement between an opponent’s first and second serve crosses an unwritten line of professional etiquette, even if it falls short of a formal rules violation.
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Osaka was scheduled to face Maddison Inglis in the third round, but later withdrew from the tournament due to an abdominal injury.
While the players involved have since moved on, the episode has continued to draw attention to the consistency of hindrance rulings and raised questions about whether clearer standards are needed to govern on-court conduct at Grand Slam events.
