Naomi Osaka's clash with ex-IDF soldier Lina Glushko disrupted by anti-Israel protestors in controversial scenes at ASB Classic

Naomi Osaka's clash with Israel's Lina Glushko at the 2025 ASB Classic suffered an unexpected interruption. The duo's match was disrupted by anti-Israel protestors making their presence felt outside the venue in Auckland.

Glushko, on the hunt for her maiden tour-level singles title at the WTA 250 event, was born in Israel to Ukrainian immigrants. After graduating from high school, the 24-year-old served a two-year term in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while continuing her tennis training as an elite athlete. As the World No. 220, Glushko stands out as the only Israeli player to be ranked in the top 500 across the men's and women's tours.

After battling through the qualifiers, Lina Glushko set up a high-profile encounter with seventh seed and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka at the ASB Classic. However, Glushko's participation drew the attention of protestors opposing Israel's role in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg took to social media and reported that the protestors caused a halt in play, as their shouts from outside the tournament grounds disrupted the atmosphere on the court.

"Play at WTA 250 Auckland has been disrupted by anti-Israel protestors outside the grounds (who are very audible on court, on the TV broadcast). Naomi Osaka is playing against qualifier #220 Lina Glushko of Israel, the only Israeli ranked inside Top 500 for either ATP or WTA," Rothenberg posted on X.

Security officials were unable to remove the protestors, as the demonstrations took place outside tournament grounds. However, the shouting soon subsided and allowed play to resume with only a brief interruption.

"Play only stopped for a couple minutes in the end before resuming. Officials told players the protestors were outside the grounds and thus not readily removed by tournament security (Auckland's stadium is right up against a city street), but the shouting seems to have subsided," he commented further.

Naomi Osaka remained unfazed by the protestors, delivering a stellar performance to claim a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Lina Glushko.

Naomi Osaka to face Julia Grabher or Leyre Romero Gormaz in ASB Classic 2R after win over Lina Glushko

Naomi Osaka - Source: Getty

Following her win over Lina Glushko, Naomi Osaka will face the winner of the match between Julia Grabher and Leyre Romero Gormaz in the second round of the 2025 ASB Classic.

The former World No. 1 aims to win her first singles title since becoming a mother at the WTA 250 event. Speaking in her pre-tournament press conference, Osaka admitted to being "humbled" by her results in 2024 and confessed that she would consider ending her career if she didn't reach the level and ranking she aspired to.

"I don’t think I’m the type of player that would hang around. I have a lot of respect for all the players on tour, but the point of my life that I’m at right now, if I’m not above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself playing for a while," Osaka said.

Naomi Osaka emphasized that she would rather spend that valuable time with her daughter Shai if her goals on tour remained unmet.