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Tony Jones Torn Apart For Wanting Australian Open Champion Naomi Osaka To Smile

by Amanda Yeo  27 January 2019

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Last night, Japan’s Naomi Osaka defeated the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova at the Australian Open women’s singles final, the match concluding with a score of 77-62, 5-7, 6-4. In winning this year’s title, Osaka became Japan’s first world number one tennis player. Unfortunately, fans felt Channel Nine sports presenter Tony Jones seemed more interested in Osaka’s smile than her achievements.

Jones, not to be confused with the ABC journalist of the same name, has been blasted online for his handling of Osaka’s post-match interview. In the exchange, Jones commented that he wasn’t sure how top athlete Osaka managed to carry her large trophy, and then exclaimed “there’s the smile” as she considered her response.

Fans have blasted Jones for his comments, calling the interview “cringeworthy” and “patronising”. Being required to smile is a well-known microaggression women face, and many viewers are incensed that Jones focused on matters such as the 21-year-old’s facial expression rather than her game.

Osaka was also asked at a press conference about he failure to contort her face into a pleasing configuration during the trophy ceremony, to which she responded that she “forgot to smile” because she was still locked in her competitive mindset.

It’s perfectly reasonable that a person wouldn’t feel much like smiling after playing three sets of tennis in the gruelling Australian heat, regardless of whether they won or not. It’s also reasonable that a woman should not be expected to smile for anybody.

Jones further asked Osaka what she planned to buy with her $4.1 million prize money, implying she should go shopping with his suggestion she “pump that back into the economy”. He also commented that she left Japan at three years old but “still regard[s herself] as a Japanese player”, implicitly questioning her identity because you can always dig yourself deeper.

This wasn’t the only awkward Jones-induced moment in recent weeks. Tennis fans have also been circulating a recent clip from Channel Nine’s Today show, which shows an awkward exchange between Jones and presenter Tom Steinfort.

In it, Jones remarks that he enjoys hearing the varied accents of all the players in Melbourne for the Australian Open, as “it’s just like our own little Europe”.

“Fair few people from Asia here as well here,” fellow presenter Tom Steinfort points out, only to be met with an awkward silence.

“OK, there’s some Asians here as well, Tom,” Jones eventually shrugs.