Piers Morgan savaged after reigniting Naomi Osaka row
Controversial media personality Piers Morgan has been slammed after reigniting his row with Naomi Osaka after her shock exit from the US Open.
The tennis world watched on in disbelief after Osaka tossed her racquet, hit a ball into the crowd and was then booed in Arthur Ashe Stadium before losing to Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
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At 5-6 and 0-30 down in the third, Osaka took some time at the back of the court to regain some composure as Fernandez was serving for the match.
However, many in Arthur Ashe Stadium took exception to her tactic and proceeded to shower Osaka with boos.
Fans watching around the world were left in disbelief that the notoriously fickle US Open crowd had booed Osaka during the match.
Following the match, Osaka fronted the media and announced she would be taking time away from the sport.
However, outspoken TV personality Morgan took the opportunity to slam Osaka.
People got very upset when I suggested Naomi Osaka may be a spoiled brat.
Here she is repeatedly smashing up rackets as she loses in the US Open.
Then she cried again, and threatened to quit again.
If a male tennis player behaved like this, we'd call him.... a spoiled brat. https://t.co/bdK1u7OmM9— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 4, 2021
Morgan took aim at Osaka back in June after the Japanese star took some time away from the sport.
Now, he has come out and labelled Osaka as a 'spoiled brat' for her behaviour during her loss.
Piers Morgan slammed for Naomi Osaka comments
However, Morgan was quickly called out for reigniting his feud with Osaka.
Many fans labelled Morgan a hypocrite and alluded to an infamous incident where the TV presenter stormed off set.
#PiersMorgan calls #NaomiOsaka a brat? Ain’t he the dude who had a fit and stormed off his own show?? #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) September 4, 2021
Last night @piersmorgan tweeted that Naomi Osaka was a spoiled brat because of the way she behaved on her way out of the Open. This is the guy who walked off the set of his own television show, right?
— Mike Lupica (@MikeLupica) September 4, 2021
I mean didn’t you storm off set when you didn’t get your own way? Pot kettle. pic.twitter.com/jNTE6Y89sX
— Mike Ainsley (@mikeainsley91) September 4, 2021
Piers Morgan the petty petulant fragile man baby who walked out on a good job, on the #GMB work team & on the integrity of his profession is THE ‘Spoilt Brat’ personified
Piers if you’ve nothing good to say about Naomi Osaka & women of Black heritage shut your godforsaken mouth pic.twitter.com/h7P0B24pCy— Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) September 4, 2021
Probably the most inaccurate tweet I have ever read from @PiersMorgan #USOpen https://t.co/1Z78OzlrgG
— Darrell Samuels (@Darrell_Samuels) September 4, 2021
It’s a shame Piers Morgan could never play elite level sport to understand the emotions you go through. Loads of tennis players do this but he only picks on Osaka. Another young successful woman.
— Mark Abel (@MarkAbel_28) September 4, 2021
Not for the first time @PiersMorgan doesn't know what he is talking about. @AndyMurray cries all the time. We should be crying over Morgan's existence on the airwaves. In the meantime lay off @naomiosaka.
— Richard Ingham Evans (@Ringham7) September 4, 2021
Everybody including you has some growing up to do, unfortunately for Ms. Osaka she has to do it in front of the world. #empathy
— Kimberly LaPorte (@klaporte_fl) September 4, 2021
Piers Morgan is disgusting. I hope Twitter bans him soon. https://t.co/DFhT74EbwU
— Johnny Zamarripa (@Jzamarripa96) September 4, 2021
You are trying so hard to be relevant OLD man, it's disgusting
— Steshy (@Steshy4) September 4, 2021
Everybody including you has some growing up to do, unfortunately for Ms. Osaka she has to do it in front of the world. #empathy
— Kimberly LaPorte (@klaporte_fl) September 4, 2021
Morgan previously had a dig at Osaka over her withdrawal from Roland Garros.
Morgan tweeted that Osaka had “withdrawn because of the backlash to her attack on the tennis media for doing their job”, rather than mental health problems.
“I have a problem with high-profile people who exploit the media for huge financial gain and then attack the same media and use mental health as a weapon to silence criticism," he wrote.
“My critiques of people have nothing to do with gender or skin colour & everything to do with how annoying they are.”
Naomi Osaka breaks down in press conference
In heartbreaking scenes, the World No.3 fought back tears as she announced a break from tennis.
"Recently, when I win I don't feel happy. I feel more like a relief," she said.
"When I lose, I feel very sad and I don't think that's normal. I didn't really want to cry but basically I feel..."
The moderator called for the press conference to be over, before Osaka intervened and said she wanted to finish.
"Basically I feel like I'm kind of at this point where I'm trying to figure out what I want to do, and I honestly don't know when I'm going to play my next tennis match," she said.
"I think I'm going to take a break from playing for a while.”
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