Osaka pushes back after Grunting Debate resurfaces
Naomi Osaka has responded sharply to renewed criticism of her on-court behaviour following comments made on a tennis podcast by Theodora Peatalas, the former partner of Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The discussion traces back to the 2026 Australian Open, where Osaka’s second round match against Sorana Cirstea featured visible emotion and vocal celebrations from the four-time Grand Slam champion. After the match, a brief exchange at the net drew attention, though Cirstea later downplayed the moment.
“It was just a five-second exchange between two players that have been on tour for a long time,” Cirstea said. “It stays between us.”
Weeks later, the moment resurfaced when Peatalas discussed Osaka’s grunting and self encouragement on the podcast What’s the Call?, suggesting it felt performative and bordered on gamesmanship.
Osaka responded directly to a clip from the podcast, rejecting the criticism.
“I laugh when people that don’t know anything about tennis start a podcast about tennis,” Osaka wrote. “What do you mean grunting is unsportsmanlike and it gives you the ick? Watch a different sport lol.”
The exchange adds to a longer history of Osaka publicly pushing back against outside commentary on how women should play or present themselves on court. In previous years, she has been vocal about boundaries, context, and the pressures placed on players, especially during high-profile events.
While the Australian Open match itself has long since passed, Osaka’s response makes clear that she has little patience for criticism from outside the sport, particularly when it comes to how players express emotion during competition.
