- A Japanese comedy duo has apologized after saying that tennis star Naomi Osaka "needs some bleach" and that "she is too sunburned," according to The Independent.
- The pair, known as "A Masso," reportedly made the comments during a live show on Sunday shortly after Osaka won the Pan Pacific Open in Osaka, Japan.
- "We sincerely apologize for making the specific person feel uncomfortable.," Ai Murakami, one half of the comedy pair, wrote on Watanabe Entertainment's official website. "We also sincerely apologize for causing trouble."
- Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian descent, stormed past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the weekend in straight sets to win her first ever tournament on home soil.
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A Japanese comedy duo has apologized after reportedly making racist remarks about tennis star Naomi Osaka during a live show.
The Independent reported that the female duo, known as "A Masso," said Osaka "needs some bleach" and that ""she is too sunburned."
The remarks came shortly after Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian descent, won the Pan Pacific Open in Osaka, Japan - her first tournament victory since lifting the Australian Open in January.
Both women posted separate apologies on their management company's website, though did not name Osaka.
"We sincerely apologize for making the specific person feel uncomfortable, as well as for everyone else connected to the event," Ai Murakami, one half of the comedy pair, wrote on Watanabe Entertainment's official website, according to The Independent.
"We also sincerely apologize for causing trouble."
A separate apology from Watanabe Entertainment said the duo had been severely warned for the comments which "did not care about diversity." Again, Osaka was not named.
Business Insider has contacted the company for comment.
Read more: A Romanian TV-show host has been accused of 'extreme racism' after saying on air that Serena Williams looks 'like one of those monkeys at the zoo'
Osaka breezed past Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets in the final of the Japan Open on Sunday afternoon to claim her first ever title on home soil.
The 21-year-old took the first set 6-2 in just 31 minutes, dominating her opponent with powerful ground strokes, hitting an impressive 23 winners.
The Australian Open champion continued to keep her foot on the throttle in the second set, storming to a 6-3 victory, closing the match with an ace.
The win means Osaka failed to drop a single set throughout the whole tournament.
"I just wanted to say it's really special for me to win here," Osaka said afterwards, according to Tennis.com. "This is the city where I was born, and honestly I think that gave me the power to play constantly, match after match. It rained a lot for a couple of days so I want to thank everyone for helping to organize the tournament.
"I just love playing here, so I'll see you guys again next year."
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