Fan abuse of Naomi Osaka was idiotic – and increasingly common across sport

Naomi Osaka’s emotional, tear-filled comments after she was heckled during her second-round loss in Indian Wells on Saturday immediately drew comparisons to the infamous incident at the same tournament in 2001 when the Williams sisters were mercilessly – and unjustly - booed. While the setting was the same and both instances reveal an ugly side of fandom, the circumstances surrounding each are decidedly not similar.

At the 2001 tournament, minutes before a highly anticipated semi-final clash between Venus and Serena (who at that point were already both slam champions), Venus withdrew due to an injury. The next day, during the final between Serena and Kim Clijsters, a significant portion of the crowd heckled and booed Serena, as well as Venus and their father Richard who were watching the match at courtside. Serena eventually won the final as a proud and defiant Richard looked on.

Related: Naomi Osaka reduced to tears after being heckled in Indian Wells defeat

There was much talk at the time that perhaps Richard Williams had “orchestrated” the withdrawal by Venus so as to give Serena a chance to shine. And while Richard Williams left himself open for criticism with his highly unconventional – and extraordinarily successful – coaching techniques, the thought that the sisters would conspire and rob the event of fair competition was a stretch. And, indeed, the sisters had already faced off on a bigger stage when Venus defeated Serena in the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2000, just eight months prior.

What made the 2001 situation with the Williams sisters particularly repulsive was the mob mentality of an overwhelmingly white, well-off throng spewing insults and raining down boos on a young, black athlete.

Serena said