MIAMI — Naomi Osaka has always considered the Miami Open to be her home tournament, as she spent much of her childhood in Pembroke Pines, and a warm, welcoming crowd over the next few weeks is exactly what the former world No. 1 might need after a tearful exit from her last match.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who has slipped to No. 78 in the rankings, burst into tears on the court at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., last week after being heckled by a spectator during her second-round 6-0, 6-4 loss to Veronika Kudermetiva.
Struggling to keep her composure, Osaka took a microphone and told the crowd, which rooted for her the entire match, that the heckler, who shouted, “Naomi, you suck!” after the opening game, brought back memories of video she had seen of Venus and Serena Williams being jeered at Indian Wells 21 years earlier.
The Williams sisters boycotted the tournament for 15 years after that incident.
“To be honest, I’ve gotten heckled before, and it didn’t really bother me,” Osaka said. “But, like, heckled here? I watched a video of Venus and Serena getting heckled here, and if you’ve never watched it, you should watch it. And I don’t know why, but it went into my head, and it got replayed a lot.”
Osaka has been vocal about mental health issues as she has battled depression and other emotional breakdowns since reaching the global stage in 2018.
She arrived at the 2019 Miami Open as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. Her Japanese-Haitian heritage and engaging personality made her a fan favorite, a media darling, and a walking billboard for international brands.
Among her lucrative endorsement deals were Nissin noodles, Nissan Motor, Yonex racket company, Citizen watches and Shiseido cosmetics. More than 50 Japanese reporters covered her 2019 win at the Australian Open, and many of them were at Hard Rock Stadium that year chronicling Osaka’s every move at the Miami Open. She continues to be a media magnet heading into this year’s Miami Open, which begins Monday with qualifying rounds and concludes on April 3.
With the attention came immense pressure.
She went on to win four Grand Slam events, including the 2021 Australian Open. Since then, she has played only sporadically and has not reached another final.
Osaka took an extended break from the tour after losing to Leylah Fernandez in the third round of last year’s U.S. Open. She said was not enjoying tennis anymore and needed time off. She came back in January for the Australian Open, where she lost in the third round to American Amanda Anisimova.
On Saturday, a week after her latest loss and post-match speech in Indian Wells, Osaka wrote to her 1.1 million Twitter followers: “Very proud of myself for reaching a point in my life that despite the lows, I would still rather be myself than anyone else.”
A few days earlier, she posted a cryptic message with just a phone number: (707) 873-7862.
The number is a bilingual (English-Spanish) hotline called “Peptoc” created by elementary school students and teachers at West Side Union Grade School in California. They made the self-help pep talk line as a class project, and it has gone viral.
When you dial in, you are prompted to pick a choice and then you get a positive message recorded by students. The choices include “If you’re feeling mad, frustrated, or nervous, press 1,” “If you need a pep talk from kindergarteners, press 3”, “If you want to hear kids laughing with delight press 4”, and “Para un mensaje feliz, presione 5. (for a happy message, press 5)”
So, if Osaka reaches for a cellphone after a tough match at the Miami Open, there’s a chance she’ll be dialing “Peptoc.”
Other Miami Open storylines to watch…
Medvedev may face ban
Top ranked Daniil Medvedev, the defending U.S. Open champion, has had more than tennis on his mind these days since his native Russia invaded Ukraine.
He made headlines last week as British officials said he could be banned from Wimbledon, along with fellow Russian and Belarusian athletes, unless they provide “assurance” that they do not support Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“Many countries have agreed that they will not allow representatives from Russia to compete. There are also visa issues as well. When it comes to individuals, that is more complex,” British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said at a UK Parliament meeting when asked about Medvedev competing at Wimbledon.
“Absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled. We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines.”
Russian and Belarusian players currently are allowed to play on the ATP and WTA tours as neutral athletes, meaning they can’t play under the name or flag of their countries.
Medvedev entered Indian Wells as the favorite but got knocked out by Gael Monfils in straight sets in the second round. Asked about the war earlier this month, Medvedev replied, “My message is always the same — I want peace in all of the world.”
Players to Watch
Roger Federer is recovering from knee surgery, so he will not be in Miami; Rafael Nadal is skipping the event to prepare for the clay season and unvaccinated Novak Djokovic is not allowed to enter the country due to COVID-19 border restrictions. Women’s No. 1 and defending Miami Open champion Ash Barty withdrew, as did No. 2 Barbora Krejcikova. The Williams sisters have been out with injuries, are not entered, and will be attending the Academy Awards where “King Richard,” a movie about their family, is nominated.
But Nos. 3 to 6 in the WTA rankings are playing – Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Annett Kontaveit, and Maria Sakkara. Osaka and Sofia Kenin also in the field.
On the men’s side, in addition to Medvedev, favorites include Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini. Andy Murray was issued a wild card.
Miami Open
— When: Mar. 21 (Qualifying rounds) through April 3
— Where: Hard Rock Stadium. 27 courts – 10 competition and 17 practice.
— Defending Champions: Men – Hubert Hurkacz, Women – Ash Barty
— Prize Money: Singles champions make $1.24 million
— Tickets: https://www.miamiopen.com/tickets/
— Parking: Through Ticketmaster, $25 prepaid, same day is $35 through SunPass, $40 credit card
— Concessions: Wide array of international food, beverage options.
— Umbrellas: Allowed, but can’t be opened in seating areas.
