When Naomi Osaka speaks, she doesn’t always have very much to say. But what she does say ends up being charming, powerful and refreshing all in one fell swoop. She’s an absolute treasure.
At Roland Garros for the French Open, we won’t be getting any of that.
Osaka announced in a statement via social media on Wednesday that she wouldn’t be doing any press at the French Open. She cited her mental health as the reason why.
She talked about her experience doing media and how she’ll be asked questions over and over again. And also how some of those questions can leave doubt in an athlete’s mind.
Here’s her full statement.
Naomi Osaka will not be participating in any news conferences during the French Open, she announced on social media today.
She said her decision was motivated by her mental health. https://t.co/5tFoDIGvyO pic.twitter.com/CZDQ55H1a2
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2021
“We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me. I’ve watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well. I believe that whole situation is kicking a person while they’re down and I don’t understand the reasoning behind it.”
She went on to say there wasn’t anything personal about the tournament that drove this decision for her and that she has a friendly relationship with most media. She just didn’t want to do press.
She also said she’d willingly pay the fines she’ll incur for not doing it, which are $20,000 per match according to the Grand Slam rule book.
Not many players on tour could afford to risk a $20,000 fine after every match. Naomi Osaka, at this stage, is one of the few.
From the 2021 Grand Slam rule book: pic.twitter.com/FnlkuAuwtO
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) May 27, 2021
On the surface, this stinks. Again, Naomi Osaka is an absolute treasure. When she speaks, it’s powerful. She’s one of the most genuinely charming people in sports. From a fan perspective, we’re losing out.
And from a media perspective, this isn’t the greatest either. We’re losing access to one of the greatest athletes — not just in her sport but in sports period. Howard Bryant had an interesting thread about what this means for this state of media and its relationship with the athlete that you should read the entirety of.
But no tweet stuck out more than this one.
10) I always took the position that if a player doesn’t want to talk, they don’t have to. I cover an industry, not them specifically. But that distance makes the industry far less interesting.
— Full Dissident (@hbryant42) May 27, 2021
Naomi Osaka makes her sport more interesting. She’s one of the most influential athletes in the world. Without her, where does that leave tennis? We don’t know. We’re about to find out — at least for this tournament.
But honestly? All of that comes secondary here. What’s most important is Osaka’s well-being and mental health — especially in the midst of a global pandemic.
We are just a few months removed from seeing Serena Williams break down in tears after a press conference. She isn’t the first. She won’t be the last. But, clearly, moments like that one have rubbed Osaka the wrong way. And who can blame her? Especially as a woman of color who happens to be an athlete. She faces criticism and coverage that other athletes just absolutely wouldn’t get.
Osaka’s larger point deserves consideration, too. Press conferences can be, by nature, de-humanizing. Questions are shouted toward an athlete sitting in the spotlight, and everything said can be cut up and misinterpreted in an instant. That’s not conducive to sincere reflection or in-depth discussion. Maybe it’s time for sports organizations to re-consider how they make athletes available, based on feedback from those athletes.
Maybe it’s a matter of removing punishment for not speaking to the media so the athlete doesn’t feel forced. Maybe it’s a change in the setting. Maybe there are tweaks to make that will make the Q&A format more personal. Many reporters don’t like the press conference format, either; I don’t know what the solution is but Osaka has stirred the conversation. That’s a good thing for everyone involved.
For now, Osaka doesn’t want to be subjected to press conferences. And she’s also willing to pay the fine for it. If that’s the case, then who are we to tell her otherwise? This is Osaka protecting her well-being. And that’s the best thing she can possibly do for herself.
Will we miss her thoughts? Her charm? Absolutely. No question. But we’ll be fine. She’s just making sure she will be, too.
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