Naomi Osaka is surrounded by a crowd during her match against Veronika Kudermatova at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., on Saturday.
"Naomi, you sock," shouted spectators after the first game of the match. The remark brought the four-time Grand Slam champion to tears on the court.
According to the Tennis Channel broadcast, during the break in the game, Osaka asked the umpire for a microphone to address the crowd, but the umpire declined the request. It is not clear if the spectator was identified and removed from the venue.
Osaka lost in straight sets 6-0, 6-4.
At the same tournament in 2001, the Williams family - Serena Williams, sister Venus and father Richard - alleged that they faced racial abuse from an Indian Wells crowd.
A 19-year-old Serena won the final, but she did not play at Indian Wells for the next 14 years.
Venus Williams said in a press conference at her next tournament that she "heard everything her father heard."
Richard Williams elaborated on some of the abuse received by USA Today, "I had trouble holding back tears. I think Indian Wells defames America."
Addressing the crowd after the match, choke-up Osaka referred to the 2001 incident.
"To be honest, I've been harassed before," Osaka said. "It didn't really bother me.
"But here's troubling, like, I've seen a video of Venus and Serena (Williams) here and if you've never seen it, you should watch it. I don't know why, but it went through my mind and Replayed a lot."
Before leaving the court, Osaka thanked the crowd and congratulated Kudarmetova.
CNN has reached out to the tournament for comment and if spectators have been identified.
'Crying for hours in the Indian Wells locker room'
Speaking before her return to Indian Wells in 2015, Serena Williams said that the experience 14 years ago had made her feel "as if I had lost the biggest game ever".
She told Time.com in February 2015, "It's hard for me to forget the hours we cried in the Indian Wells locker room after winning in 2001."
“To go back to Los Angeles to realize that I have lost the greatest sport I have ever lost – not just a tennis game, but a huge fight for equality.
"Emotionally, it seemed easier to stay away. There are some people who say I should never go back... I'm just following my heart on this one."
Williams advanced to the semi-finals upon his return to the tournament, but was ruled out before the match due to a knee injury.