Tennis Superstar Naomi Osaka Decides to Snub Media During French Open: Reason Behind It Revealed!
Naomi Osaka already built walls around her before this year's French Open as the tennis superstar revealed she will lie low from the press.
Osaka set some strict rules on Wednesday, saying that she will not speak to any reporters at the event to safeguard her mental health. She wrote her explanatory message on her social media, highlighting how press conferences can burden players' mental health.
"I'm writing this to say I'm not going to do any press during Roland Garros," she wrote on Twitter. "I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one."
Why Naomi Osaka Wants Break
The 23-year-old World's No. 2 added that she and other tennis players often receive questions that bring doubt into their minds. Instead of allowing that to happen, Osaka decided to get away from people who doubt her.
While this may be a surprising move for a tennis superstar, Osaka clarified that her decision was not something personal against the French Open. She also clarified that the journalist who she became friends with are also excluded in her decision.
However, she did note that her decision was caused by organizations that keep on threatening athletes. The same situation leads athletes to sometimes speak and overlook the mental health side.
For what it's worth, many tournaments require players to stand in front of the media after each match. Otherwise, they need to pay a fine. For instance, Christian Harrison was forced to pay $3,000 when he refused to appear in a mandatory on-court interview at the Delray Beach Open.
Meanwhile, Osaka herself shared a video of the former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch who repeatedly said "I'm just here so I won't get fined."
Due to the countless players who already got fined, she could not do anything but hope that the amount would be given to mental health charities instead.
Naomi Osaka Notes Importance of Speaking Up
Apart from her recent decision to protect her mental health, the athlete also became part of many advocacies in the past years.
She mainly spread awareness about police brutality and racial inequality. It is worth noting that she famously wore a mask with the names of injustice victims, including George Floyd.
