After the match, Osaka failed to mention Mboko in her runners-up speech<\/a>, as she quickly thanked the event staff before handing over the microphone.<\/p>\n Osaka was widely criticized for her speech,<\/a> as fans online called her \u2018rude\u2019 and \u2018classless\u2019.<\/p>\n Weighing in with his thoughts on the incident, former world number one Andy Roddick<\/a> gave his verdict.<\/p>\n Andy Roddick says \u2018people are allowed to be p\u2014\u2013\u2018 after losing matches<\/p>\n During the latest episode of \u2018Quick Served\u2019, Roddick commented on the drama surrounding Osaka\u2019s<\/a> brief runners-up speech.<\/p>\n \u201cShe didn\u2019t really want to expand a lot in the post-match speeches,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u00a0see people are saying \u2018she should\u2019ve said\u2026\u2019, I don\u2019t know, we\u2019re the only sport that is forced to talk after we lose.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, we\u2019re not our best selves in that situation, and if people are, great, if they\u2019re not, they\u2019re not.<\/p>\n \u201cI would rather her be friendly with Vicky Mboko<\/a> all the time than at Grandstand in front of a microphone.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if either is true, but Naomi [Osaka] is generally well-liked, polite, everyone likes her, and she doesn\u2019t give a lot sometimes when she\u2019s not ready to give a lot, and that\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n The American went on to suggest that tennis players are more harshly criticized for their post-match comments than athletes competing in different sports.<\/p>\n \u201cNo other sport do you have to go talk immediately in front of everyone and have the expectations to not only be courteous but to give everyone their flowers in an appropriate way. I don\u2019t know, People are allowed to be p\u2014\u2014,\u201d said Roddick.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Michael Jordan did that, they\u2019d be like \u2018He\u2019s such a competitor, he can\u2019t get over it\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to actually use that example with Serena [Williams]<\/a> all the time; she would go to press sometimes and be really salty.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m like, if that\u2019s Jordan, everyone is celebrating his saltiness, but when it\u2019s Serena, everyone\u2019s writing articles about how salty she is, I don\u2019t know.. It\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Moving away from the controversy, Roddick was keen to congratulate Osaka on a positive week as the Japanese star took a big step forward in the lead-up to the US Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n Andy Roddick thinks we\u2019re about to find out if Naomi Osaka can be a top-ten player again<\/p>\n Congratulating Osaka on her efforts in Montreal, Roddick claimed she played her best tournament in years.<\/p>\n![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2228241632-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Minas Panagiotakis\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2228241512-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Minas Panagiotakis\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-140031540-1024x691.jpg\")
Photo by Focus on Sport\/Getty Images<\/p>\n