Iga Swiatek's PR manager Paula Wolecka sides with Naomi Osaka's decision to boycott press conferences, says athletes should be allowed to cut media interactions short when necessary
Paula Wolecka, the PR manager of Iga Swiatek, has spoken out over Naomi Osaka's boycott of press conferences at the 2021 French Open.
Naomi Osaka made headlines last year after she decided to skip press conferences at the tournament to safeguard her own mental health. She announced her withdrawal from the claycourt Major soon after the organizers fined her $15,000 for her decision. In the process, Osaka stated that she had been dealing with depression and anxiety for a long time.
Since then, the Japanese player has struggled to regain the form that saw her win at least one Grand Slam singles title each year between 2018 and 2021.
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In light of this, Wolecka stated in a Sportsmarketing interview series titled "Women in Sport and Business" that Osaka's decision to take such a step was her own and that she should not be judged for it.
"In the case of an athlete, media activity is his duty. How time-consuming it is – it depends on the discipline. I'm not going to judge Naomi's individual situation because none of us know what brought her to this place," Wolecka said.
According to her, athletes should prioritize their well-being even when they are juggling other duties. She went on to say that it's also the athlete's right to skip a few questions or cut the press conference short after a heavy loss that has a negative impact on their mental health.
"It is definitely worth remembering that even in the case of duties, you should take care of yourself and your limits," Wolecka said, adding, "As with everything, you don't have to accept the world as it is if for some reason you don't agree with it. If an athlete feels bad after an extremely severe defeat, she has the right to ask for a reduction in the number of questions or shortening the conference."
Naomi Osaka will be unseeded at US Open 2022
Naomi Osaka's season has been hampered by injuries along with a lack of tournament and match wins. She fared poorly in the first two Grand Slams of the year and missed out on Wimbledon due to injury.
The World No. 39 recently pulled out of her first-round match at the 2022 Canadian Open midway through owing to an injury after falling to American Coco Gauff in the round of 16 at the Silicon Valley Classic.
This was followed by a defeat in the opening round of the Western & Southern Open to Shuai Zhang. As a result, the four-time Grand Slam will be unseeded going into the 2022 US Open, which she has won twice before.
Four-time (hard-court) Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka suffers back-to-back first round losses in WTA 1000s ahead of the US Open, this time 6-4, 7-5 to Shuai Zhang in Cincinnati — which means she won't be a seed in New York.