“No-one says battle of the dads”: Naomi Osaka being asked about motherhood element of Elina Svitolina clash annoys fans

Naomi Osaka confirmed her second-round showdown against Elina Svitolina at the Miami Open, and fans reacted after she was asked about the "battle of the moms" once again.

The former world No. 1 returned at the beginning of the season after more than a year of absence and became a mother to her daughter Shai in July 2023. She's not the only mother on the Tour, and the topic has constantly prompted questions, something that is once again happening ahead of the match with Svitolina, who became a mother in October 2022 and returned in 2023, displaying strong performances that have comfortably placed her in the top 20 without playing too many tournaments.

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In her first-round match, Naomi Osaka defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4, securing her spot in the second round of the WTA 1000. During the on-court interview, the 4-time Grand Slam champion responded to the question about the "battle of the moms":

“@naomiosaka weighs in on the "battle of the moms" in her R2 opponent, Elina Svitolina,” wrote the WTA account in X.

"I was watching her [Svitolina] last year and I was admiring all her runs in Wimbledon and it's going to be I guess a really incredible honor to play against her. So I guess, I'll see when that happens" Osaka said.

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Several fans reacted on social media to the question. According to their comments, tennis players like Osaka and Svitolina receive too many questions about motherhood, and they hope to be asked more directly about tennis. Here are some fan reactions you can find:

“We are literally begging y'all to stop obsessing over their motherhood. We are thrilled to have them on tour and doing well but can you give them a chance to mention it first?! Focus on the policies they are requesting.”

“I have never once seen any tennis organization refer to, say, taylor, as a father unprompted... hate this so much”

“Try not to mention them being mothers every two seconds. I’m sure just like us, the players would appreciate it if y’all talked about something else for once.”

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