Andy Murray, a tennis player highly respected by all the players on the circuit, because he has always supported their claims over the years, gave his opinion on what had happened to Naomi Osakawith whom she has a very good relationship, in her match against Kudermetova on Saturday in Indian Wells, when a fan insulted the Japanese and she asked the chair umpire to try to expel her from the stadium, something she could not do as she did not locate it. The winner of four Grand Slams played unmotivated and on the verge of tears due to this circumstance and after losing 6-0 and 6-4 she said goodbye to the public thanking and crying.
The Briton, who also said goodbye to the tournament when he fell against Bublik this Sunday, was somewhat perplexed when they spoke of “mistreatment” when asked about this event. “Did you say abuse?”answered the journalist who had questioned him, before giving an answer that concluded with this reflection: “Obviously I’m sorry for Naomi, which upset her a lot, but that’s always been part of the sport. So you have to be prepared for that in some way and be able to tolerate it.because it happens regularly in all sports.
Murray, a gentleman always correct in his statements, had begun his dissertation with this sentence: “This is tough. Often, I’ve seen it in certain sports, I wouldn’t say often in tennis. I know it’s happened. But I don’t think it’s that common. In a football game, a player is going to take a throw-in or a corner kick and people only throw insults at him. I always think, how is that allowed? It can not be done. If you do that to someone when you’re walking down the street or in any other type of work environment, it obviously wouldn’t be tolerated.”
“You have to deal with it even if it’s not pleasant”
Then he explained his own experience in this regard and what he has seen in other disciplines such as basketball: “I’ve played in certain atmospheres in tennis, like Davis Cup, away from home, where it’s especially intense, and sometimes things are said, you know, and it’s not comfortable. Obviously you want the fans to be there and support the players, and not make it harder for them. I don’t know, but it’s also something that has always been a part of sports. If you go to a basketball game, for example, and a player is shooting free throws, the crowd interrupts him, and while it’s wrong for those people to do so, athletes also have to be used to it or be able to deal with it too, even if it’s not pleasant.”