There were unsettling scenes at the ASB Classic yesterday, with Naomi Osaka's first-round match against Lina Glushko temporarily halted due to anti-Israel protestors.
Glushko, born in Israel to Ukrainian immigrants, was on the receiving end of heckles from disruptors outside the stadium due to her nationality's connection concerning the war with Palestine.
After graduating from secondary school, the world No.220 served two years in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), juggling tennis commitments and pro-life on tour.
Journalist Ben Rothenberg reported on X that one of the refrains used included "Israel's a terror state".
Because the protests were not conducted inside the stadium, tournament security could not do anything to stop the disruption.
"Play only stopped for a couple minutes in the end before resuming," Rothenberg wrote on X.
"Officials told players the protestors were outside the grounds and thus not readily removed by tournament security (Auckland's stadium is right up against a city street), but the shouting seems to have subsided."
Despite the delay, former world No.1 Naomi Osaka won her first match since last competing at the China Open three months ago, defeating Glushko 6-4 6-4.
After producing a mixed bag of results in 2024, the Japanese star admitted post-game that retirement could arrive sooner rather than later if results don't improve.
"I don’t think I’m the type of player that would hang around," Osaka said. "I have a lot of respect for all the players on tour, but the point of my life that I’m at right now, if I’m not above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself playing for a while."
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