Naomi Osaka Back With A Bang: Destigmatising Therapy One Step At A Time

"I just wanted to prove I could come back out here, compete and have the best attitude I could." Naomi Osaka had stated, she has made her come back and how. Osaka, made news when she decided to take a break from Tennis, and withdrew from French Open in May 2021. She is back in the game and qualified into the second round of the Miami Open, where she beat world number 96, Astra Sharma, 6-3 6-4, and qualified into the second round which took place on March 23, 2022, Wednesday. She stated that therapy did help her massively and has given her a new perspective.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka had taken time away from tennis in 2021, creating a stir in the tennis world, due to mental health problems. Post withdrawing from the game last year, Osaka has worked on her mental health, by seeking, after being unable to deal with her loss to Veronika Kudermetova.

The break was announced by Osaka, on her Instagram, after she refused to participate in the post-match press conferences due to mental health concerns. Naomi took to Instagram, announcing her decision, and confessed to suffering from depression since winning the US Open in 2018. She withdrew from Wimbledon in June 2018, just before the Tokyo Olympics.

Osaka revealed that she has been getting help from a therapist to deal with her mental health issues. She stated that she only started going to therapy due to her sister’s raising concerns about her well-being. She also revealed a piece of advice by coach Wim Fissette, that said 'You hire a coach for tennis, for fitness. The mind is such a big thing. If you can, like, get a professional to help you out .5 percent, that alone is worth it,’’  also pushed her into the direction of therapy.

Naomi Osaka back

Expressing her gratitude for all the support she was given on her confession of dealing with mental health issues, Osaka stated, “It has been really nice to feel supported not only by my family, team, and brand partners but also by the fans and fellow athletes."

A conversation on Mental Health: Destigmatising therapy

Naomi Osaka has also been a pioneer in fuelling the conversation on mental health when she showed the world that it was ok to not be okay. She additionally stated “Michael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life. If that’s true, then it was all worth it.” Additionally, other athletes from the tennis world are also speaking up about mental health and creating awareness through their actions.

Ashleigh Barty, stunned the tennis world when she announced her retirement from Tennis. Being at the world’s number one position, at just 25 years of age, she opted for retirement when she prioritised her mental and physical health being and decided to stake a step back and save herself from the draining effect tennis was having over her body and mind. In a tearful video on Instagram, she stated "I'm so happy, and I'm so ready and I just know at the moment in my heart as a person, this is right. I'm so grateful for everything that tennis has given me, it's given me all of my dreams plus more.”

In 2018, Serena Williams lost three straight sets at the Mubadala Silicon Valley classic tennis competition. Opening up, post her loss in the tournament, Williams spoke about struggles with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter Olympia in 2017.  Williams stated "Last week was not easy for me, Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom, I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal. It's totally normal to feel like I'm not doing enough for my baby."

Naomi Osaka finds support from Serena Williams after walking away from French Open.

Speaking up in support of Naomi, Williams had stated that she can identify with anxiety regarding news conference scrutiny, and has experienced it frequently after matches

One of the best badminton players of India, Saina Nehwal, has through one of her Instagram posts, spoken up about the importance of mental well-being. Posting a picture of herself she wrote,  “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results. #positivevibes #staystrong.”

Saina Nehwal, badminton player ( Picture Credit: Indianexpress.com)

Mental health and conversations around the same have been stigmatised and have been ignored for the longest time. With influential personnel taking charge and talking about mental health, has been a step in the right direction for creating awareness on mental health. We hope this conversation only further turns into a revolution and the importance of mental health is destigmatised in the days to come.

Suggested Reading: I’m Figuring It Out: Naomi Osaka Breaks Down At First Media Conference In 3 Months

The views expressed are the author's own.