(CNN) — Naomi Osaka was interrupted Saturday by a spectator in the crowd during her match against Veronika Kudermetova at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.
“Naomi, you suck,” the spectator seemed to yell after the first game of the match. The comment brought tears to the four-time champion of Grand Slam on the pitch
According to the Tennis Channel broadcast, during a break in the game, Osaka asked the referee for the microphone to address the crowd, but the request was denied by the referee. It is unclear if the bystander was identified and removed from the scene.
Osaka would end up losing in straight sets 6-0 6-4.
Osaka lost in straight sets.
At the same tournament in 2001, the Williams family (Serena Williams, her sister Venus and their father Richard) alleged that they suffered racial abuse by the Indian Wells crowd.
Serena, 19, won the final but did not play in Indian Wells for another 14 years.
Venus Williams told a news conference at her next tournament that she “heard everything her father heard”.
Richard Williams detailed some of the abuse he received for USA Today, saying, “I had trouble holding back tears. I think Indian Wells brought shame on America.”
Addressing the crowd after the match, Osaka referenced the 2001 incident.
“To be honest, I’ve been interrupted before,” said Osaka. “It really didn’t bother me.
“But I got interrupted here, I saw a video of Venus and Serena (Williams) being interrupted here and if you’ve never seen it you should watch it. I don’t know why but it crossed my mind and it got played a lot.”
Before leaving the court, Osaka thanked the crowd and congratulated Kudermetova.
CNN has reached out to the tournament for comment and whether the viewer was identified.
“Crying Hours in the Indian Wells Locker Room”
Speaking before her return to Indian Wells in 2015, Serena Williams said the experience of 14 years earlier had left her feeling “like she lost the biggest game in history”.
“It’s been hard for me to forget spending hours crying in the Indian Wells locker room after winning in 2001,” he told Time.com in February 2015.
“Coming back to Los Angeles feeling like I’ve lost the biggest game in history, not just a tennis game, but a bigger fight for equality.
“Emotionally, it seemed easier to stay away. There are some who say I should never go back… I’m just following my heart on this one.”
Williams advanced to the semi-finals on her return to the tournament, but was forced to withdraw before the match due to a knee injury.