Heckling of Naomi Osaka will tarnish BNP Paribas Open's image for years to come

With social media, security videos and ticket identification, tournament officials' claim they could not identify the woman in a high-end box who heckled Naomi Osaka is unacceptable and reeks of a cover-up.

And her friends are protecting the despicable behavior.

Who is this woman? Tournament owner Larry Ellison and other officials should be ashamed of themselves. Allowing this individual a ‘"free pass" for her behavior on the world stage of tennis smacks of a double standard.

All of the people in that box, including the owner, should be banned from the BNP Paribas Open for life. For a tournament often called the "fifth Grand Slam," this is no way to gain any public support.

This offense should, at the very least, be condemned from the top down. It is not rocket science to figure out the identity of the heckler who destroyed an athlete’s emotions and could have cost her a match.

The public deserves to have accountability and hold all of those around the heckler responsible.

People know who this individual is. Shame on them for keeping their silence. The tournament is now tarnished throughout the world, and Indian Wells will bear that scar for years to come.

David Carden Jr., Palm Springs

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Heckling of Naomi Osaka tarnishes BNP Paribas Open's image | Letter