Naomi Osaka claims she "loves the press" but says she felt pressured to disclose her mental health issues because people didn't believe her
In an essay published in Time magazine, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka expressed her excitement about playing at the Tokyo Olympics later this month. Perhaps more importantly though, Osaka also opened up about her turbulent few weeks which saw her withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon, two of the sport's most prestigious tournaments, over mental health concerns.
The Japanese pulled out of Roland Garros after she was fined $15,000 for skipping the mandatory press conference following her first-round win in Paris. On the eve of the tournament, Osaka had announced that she would not take part in press conferences in Paris as she wanted to preserve her mental health.
She subsequently withdrew from Wimbledon too. Thus, the Tokyo Games will mark Osaka's first competitive appearance since June.
In her essay for Time, Osaka confirmed her intention to return to tennis at the Olympics, which is being held in her home country, Japan.
"After taking the past few weeks to recharge and spend time with my loved ones, I have had the time to reflect, but also to look forward. I could not be more excited to play in Tokyo," Osaka said. "An Olympic Games itself is special, but to have the opportunity to play in front of the Japanese fans is a dream come true. I hope I can make them proud."
In the essay, Naomi Osaka also delved deeper into her relationship with the press. The current World No. 2 faced a severe backlash from sections of the tennis community for her media stance in Paris.
Osaka clarified that while she enjoyed interacting with the media, the press conference format needed to be overhauled.
"This was never about the press, but rather the traditional format of the press conference," Osaka said. "I'll say it again for those at the back: I love the press; I do not love all press conferences."
"I have always enjoyed an amazing relationship with the media and have given numerous in-depth, one-on-one interviews... I always try to answer genuinely and from the heart," she added. "I've never been media-trained, so what you see is what you get. The way I see it, the reliance and respect from athlete to press is reciprocal."
"However, in my opinion (and I want to say that this is just my opinion and not that of every tennis player on tour), the press-conference format itself is out of date and in great need of a refresh," Osaka went on. "I believe that we can make it better, more interesting and more enjoyable for each side. Less subject vs. object; more peer to peer."
Naomi Osaka would like to see athletes given a few days off a year when they did not feel up to it. She likened the sporting arena to that of working professionals in other organizations, who receive a certain number of sick days every year.
"Athletes are humans," Osaka said. "Tennis is our privileged profession, and of course there are commitments off the court that coincide. But I can’t imagine another profession where a consistent attendance record (I have missed one press conference in my seven years on tour) would be so harshly scrutinized."
"Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions," she added. "In any other line of work, you would be forgiven for taking a personal day, so long as it’s not habitual. You wouldn’t have to divulge your most personal symptoms to your employer; there would likely be HR measures protecting at least some level of privacy."
Naomi Osaka had issued a statement after her French Open withdrawal in which she revealed her struggles with anxiety and depression since her 2018 US Open win. But in her latest essay she claimed that she only talked about those issues because she felt nobody was believing her.
Osaka also requested the media for some level of privacy and empathy when they next meet.
"I felt under a great amount of pressure to disclose my symptoms -frankly because the press and the tournament did not believe me," the Japanese said. "I do not wish that on anyone and hope that we can enact measures to protect athletes, especially fragile ones. I also do not want to have to engage in a scrutiny of my personal medical history ever again. So I ask the press for some level of privacy and empathy next time we meet."
"Want to thank those in the public eye who have supported, encouraged and offered such kind words" - Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka also thanked everyone who had supported her, including fellow athletes and other public personalities, as well as sponsors and the brands she is associated with.
"There are too many to name, but I want to start with my family and friends, who have been amazing," she said. "There is nothing more important than those relationships. I also want to thank those in the public eye who have supported, encouraged and offered such kind words. Michelle Obama, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Novak Djokovic, Meghan Markle, to name a few.
"Furthermore, I am eternally grateful to all my partners. Although I am not surprised as I purposefully chose brand partners that are liberal, empathetic and progressive, I am still tremendously thankful."
Osaka ended the essay by saying that all the struggles of the past few weeks would be worth it if she could save one life or impact others with her story.
"I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it’s still so new to me and I don’t have all the answers. I do hope that people can relate and understand it’s O.K. to not be O.K., and it’s O.K. to talk about it. There are people who can help, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel. Michael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life. If that’s true, then it was all worth it."
Also read - Naomi Osaka's Roland Garros media boycott is an important step in bringing mental health into focus