Between Cirstea's first and second serves, Japan's Osaka let out a "come on," which was interpreted as a way to cheer herself on. However, the Romanian reacted immediately and questioned the action to the umpire.
"You're not serving yet, so it's okay," the umpire replied.
After the match, which Osaka won 2–1 in sets, Cirstea avoided her opponent's gaze as they shook hands and said, "You have no idea what fair play is." Osaka mocked Cirstea's remark but later apologized for her comment, calling it "disrespectful."
The day after the incident, former tennis stars Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport were asked on the Tennis Channel how they felt about Osaka's behavior.
"I don't think she does it on purpose; she doesn't realize it. You can say 'come on' all you want, but keep it inside; don't verbalize it," Navratilova said, and Davenport supported her.
"You can cheer yourself up by hitting your thigh, but you can't shout between serves; that's basic tennis etiquette. I have a feeling she's going to stop doing that now," Davenport said.
Osaka will play her next match on Saturday night, local time in Sweden, when she will face Australian Maddison Inglis.
