Mats Wilander says Naomi Osaka shouldn't play tournaments until she is ready to face the press, urges her to reconsider media boycott
Mats Wilander has hit out at Naomi Osaka for her decision to boycott press conferences at Roland Garros this year, saying the Japanese should not compete in tournaments until she is ready to face the media.
Naomi Osaka announced last week that she wouldn't hold press conferences at this year's Roland Garros. Osaka cited her mental health as the primary reason behind foregoing her media obligations and said she was willing to accept any fine imposed on her.
The World No. 2 was slapped with a fine of $15,000 for failing to appear for her press conference after her first-round win over Patricia Maria Tig on Sunday. Organizers also warned her that she could be defaulted from the tournament if she continues ignoring her media duties.
Covering the fallout from the first day of Roland Garros 2021, Wilander, who works as a pundit for Eurosport, said mental health issues were common amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Swede also urged the Japanese to re-consider her stance and suggested that Osaka should've sat out this year's event if she wasn't mentally equipped to "face the job".
“We are all struggling with mental issues these days during this pandemic, but Naomi, I think you need to reconsider or, I would say, don’t play the tournament until you are ready to face the job," the eight-time Major winner said.
Naomi Osaka's announcement evoked mixed responses from the tennis fraternity. While many believe that her decision was an important step towards shining the spotlight on mental health, others pointed out that such a boycott could reduce the connection between players and fans.
Wilander claimed that Naomi Osaka would have been better off playing in the 1980s, when post-match news conferences were not mandatory. The Swede also said Osaka's stance was "not fair to the other players".
“Naomi Osaka, she should have played in the ’80s. Because when I played, we never had a press conference before the tournament started,” Mats Wilander said. “But then don’t go and play the tournament. Why should she be treated any differently to the other players? That’s not fair to the other players."
Wilander added that the Japanese had a moral obligation towards her sponsors to appear for her press conferences.
“She definitely has to do it," Wilander said. "She has sponsors; she is the highest paid female athlete in the world. So we want to see great champions win, we want to see them celebrate, but we also want to be inspired by great athletes when things are tough."
I respect Naomi Osaka, but everyone needs to communicate and come up with a solution: Chris Evert
Mats Wilander was not the only tennis pundit to offer their opinion on Naomi Osaka's stance.
Billie Jean King tweeted that she was "a little torn" on the whole issue, while Chris Evert praised Naomi Osaka for using her platform to highlight social issues but said a better solution was needed than a media boycott.
“Naomi certainly makes us think and examine the status quo. I respect Naomi and what she’s done for social issues and for the game but everyone needs to communicate and come up with a solution," Evert said to NYTimes on Monday.
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