Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Naomi Osaka of Japan speaks with WTA supervisor Clare Wood after play was disrupted by a shout from the crowd during her straight sets defeat against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in their second round match on Day 6 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 12, 2022 in Indian Wells, California.

Osaka, 24, told reportersduring a Miami Open press conferenceon Wednesday that she looked for a therapist at the suggestion of her sister and coach after a spectator shouted “Naomi, you suck,” during her match againstVeronika Kudermetovain California.

She added, “The mind is such a big thing. If you can, like, get a professional to help you out .5 percent, that alone is worth it.”

During the incident at Indian Wells, Osaka was brought to tears and asked the heckler to be removed from the arena, according toESPN.

Osaka went on to lose against Kudermetova in straight sets 6-0, 6-4. The outlet reported that she asked for a microphone to address the crowd and for the spectator to be removed, but both requests were denied.

Clive Brunskill/Getty

Naomi Osaka of Japan walks off court after her straight sets defeat against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in their second round match on Day 6 of the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 12, 2022 in Indian Wells, California.

Osaka has been outspoken about mental health, having previously withdrawn from the 2021French Openbecause of anxiety and depression. She laterwithdrew from Wimbledonlast year to take “personal time” before competing at theTokyo Summer Olympics, where she fell in the third round.

“For me, the situation in Indian Wells — I’ve thought back on it and realize I’ve never been heckled. I’ve been booed, but not a direct yell-out thing,” she told reporters this week. “It kind of took me out of my element. I feel like I’m prepared for it now. I was bracing myself before the match to know it could happen. I just needed to change my mindset.”

Osaka said therapy has helped introduce her to strategies that can help her deal with interactions with spectators.

“She kind of told me strategies and stuff. I realize how helpful it is,” she said. “I’m glad that I have people around me that told me to, like, go in that direction.”

“But, yeah, I was basically just remembering all the things that she told me to do, just to take deep breaths and reset myself when I need to.”

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Now competing in Miami, Osaka said she is putting the incident behind her the best she can.

“Honestly, for me, I just didn’t want to let anything bother me today no matter what happened,” Osaka said. “The last match that I played was not the greatest memory for me. I just wanted to prove that I could come back out here and compete.”

source: people.com