Naomi Osaka to boycott French Open press conference? Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka announced on social media that she will not speak during any press conferences at this year's French Open due to mental health impact. According to Osaka, news conferences put an unfair burden on players and that she has often felt that "people have no regard for athletes’ mental health".
The World No. 2 shared that she will not be participating in press conferences during the French Open, noting that she hoped her ensuing fines would be donated to charities that support mental health. “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,” the 23-year-old said in her statement.
She further explained that she has watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and she believes that the whole situation is "kicking a person while they're down". She claims she does not understand why the media does it but to accompany her post on Instagram, Osaka included videos of another prominent women's tennis player, Venus Williams, and former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch, in interview situations.
The Japanese player said the decision was “nothing personal” against the tournament or journalists and that she hoped organisers would reconsider their approach and don't just continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes.
Furthermore, many tennis tournaments require players to speak to the media after each match or pay a fine. To which, Osaka addressed saying, "I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity." The reaction to Osaka's claims was generally positive with Williams responding to the post, saying, "Girl, do you. Your life is yours to live!"
Osaka is looking forward to win her first French Open title, scheduled to start on Sunday, June 13. She has won major tournaments like the US Open twice and the Australian Open twice. The 23-year-old has won a total of six titles in her career, having clinched two of the last three majors with the last year's US Open and Australian Open titles this year.
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