After the four-time Grand Slam winner said she would not participate in mandatory press conferences because of concerns over her psychological health, officials reacted by fining her $15,000 and threatening to divert her from the championship.
Osaka, 23, subsequently pulled from this French Open completely, showing in an announcement that her choice to not speak with reporters resulted from struggles she has undergone lately:”The stark reality is I have suffered long bouts of depression because the US Open in 2018 and now I have had a very hard time dealing with this.”
“Although the tennis media has ever been kind to me,” she wrote,”I’m not a natural public speaker and also get massive waves of stress before I talk to the world.”
She was feeling nervous and vulnerable, she states,”so I believed it had been better to practice self-care and bypass the media conferences. I declared it preemptively since I really do feel like the principles are very dated in parts and that I wished to highlight this.”
Support from Osaka’s fellow athletes soon poured , frequently tinged with understanding frustration at systems which don’t prioritize competitions’ well-being.
NBA celebrity Steph Curry stated he admired Osaka’s gutsiness. “You [should not ] ever need to produce a [choice ] such as this-but so damn remarkable taking the high street once the powers that be dont shield their own. Significant regard,” he composed .
Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie lamented that Osaka was punished instead of helped when she voiced her psychological health needs.
“It is so sad that we’re in some time that every time a young man tells you they want a break, folks react with anger and a lack of support!
Only Be You, which will always be sufficient.”
British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith reacted with a wider message into the entire world:”If somebody is taking actions to secure their mental health people need to listen to and work together – not double-down and place her in this place. Trainers’ mental health has to be taken seriously + . We’re people too”
“Stay powerful ? I respect your vulnerability,” composed Coco Gauff, the 17-year American tennis celebrity.
Venus Williams said she had been pleased of Osaka:”Take care of your self and watch you back winning shortly!”
Women’s tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King originally expressed mixed feelings about Osaka’s refusal to take part in press conferences in the championship, tweeting Sunday she has always thought athletes have a duty to speak to the media.
“In our day, with no media, nobody could have understood who we are what we believed. There’s not any question [the media ] helped build and expand our game to what it has become now,” King composed .
However, after Osaka told that the world she was going through emotionally, King’s response altered.
“It is unbelievably brave that Naomi Osaka has shown her reality about her battle with depression. At this time, the main issue is that we give her the time and space she wants.
