Naomi Osaka was reduced to tears during her defeat at the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday.
The Japanese star was given a wildcard to play in the California desert after her ranking plummeted to No 78 following a curtailed 2021 season.
After coming from a set down to defeat Sloane Stephens in a tough first round match, the 24-year-old found it extremely difficult to continue her momentum at Indian Wells.
She was visibly distressed throughout her second-round defeat to world No 24 Veronika Kudermetova on Saturday, losing 6-0 6-4, after some verbal abuse from the crowd.
During the opening set, the four-time Grand Slam winner – who missed parts of the 2021 season over her mental health – was heckled by a member of the crowd who reportedly shouted “Naomi, you suck”, which caused her to complain to the umpire.
Perturbed by the comment, Osaka, who couldn’t hide her emotions, lost the first set without
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