WATCH: Naomi Osaka can’t stop laughing after witnessing Yulia Putintseva’s on-court antics during China Open 2R win

Things got a little spicy on the tennis courts recently! The usual intensity of a match took a fun twist during Naomi Osaka‘s second-round clash with Yulia Putintseva at the China Open. The reason? Her reaction to Putintseva’s playful antics. And the fans cannot help but be entertained as Osaka, usually known for her calmness, couldn’t hold back her laughter and surprise at her opponent’s cheeky behavior.

Osaka and Putintseva engaged in a thrilling encounter at the China Open. While the Kazhak player started the match with a dominant first-set victory, she was seen distracted and struggled to keep her form intact in the match. She eventually lost the match 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 against the Japanese player. But what caught the attention of the fans was the reaction that followed from Osaka to Putintseva’s gestures during the match.

Naomi Osaka wins a third setter after being down a set for the first time since Miami 2022! 😭

Got broken the match multiple times but stayed resilient. That’s my psycho! pic.twitter.com/3A2mEqCm2P

— Tanya (@ScriptedTanya) September 27, 2024

Putintseva was visibly frustrated through her match against Osaka. She looked irritated during her interactions with the ball kids, and in fact, stopped her opponent from serving on several occasions due to the crowd behind the Japanese player. She also engaged in an argument with the chair umpire. All these incidents amalgamated and forced out laughter from Osaka in the match. The fans, meanwhile, were quick to observe this.

Taking to Reddit, one user shared a video of Osaka trying to control her laugh but she failed to do so. Captioning the post, the user wrote, “More of Naomi laughing at Putintseva’s ridiculous on-court behavior lol.”

While Osaka was quick to get her composure and focus back, the fans did not fail to share humorous responses.

‘So cute’ – Naomi Osaka’s reaction draws hilarious response from fans

One user wrote, “Naomi looks so much more relaxed now! Perhaps having a baby made her realize that her life is worth more than just her tennis career.” Naomi Osaka gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023 and took a long hiatus from the courts due to her pregnancy and post-partum challenges. While she returned to the courts this year, she could not establish herself as the dominant force that she once was. However, her latest reaction makes the fans believe that she is looking better than before. Interestingly, Osaka herself resonated with similar sentiments.

One thing about a poots match is she’ll give you moments. Love that Naomi didn’t get too distracted. pic.twitter.com/pKzWw17GK6

— Tanya (@ScriptedTanya) September 27, 2024

Speaking at the Canadian Open ahead of her match against Ons Jabeur, Osaka highlighted how her daughter helps her stay happy. “I would say when I was younger I defined success by winning tournaments, winning matches,” Osaka said. She revealed that she was devastated after her first-round exit at the Paris Olympics but her daughter helped her immensely when she returned home. “I went back home and I saw my daughter and I don’t know she’s just happy to be alive. She’s happy that I’m her mom for some reason and it just gave me a lot I guess motivation.” More similar reaction followed from fans.