Lewis Hamilton believes backlash received by Naomi Osaka was "ridiculous", says "not cool" of Roland Garros to fine her
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has voiced his support for Naomi Osaka following the widespread criticism she received for her decision to boycott press conferences at Roland Garros.
Naomi Osaka's decision was slammed by a section of fans and she also drew the ire of the four Grand Slams who warned her of future consequences should she continue to skip her media obligations.
Osaka responded by withdrawing from the claycourt Major and revealed she had been suffering from depression since 2018. The Grand Slams and the tennis community subsequently softened their stance towards the World No. 2, but the damage had already been done by then.
Lewis Hamilton stressed Naomi Osaka did not deserve any of the criticism leveled at her and that she should have been offered support.
"For her own personal health she didn’t feel comfortable doing something, and the backlash is ridiculous,” Hamilton said. “People not taking into account that she’s a human being, and she’s saying, ‘I’m not well enough to do this right now'. I think that needs to be really looked into as to how people have reacted to that, and they should be supporting and uplifting to her.”
Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 for failing to attend her press conference after her first-round win over Patricia Maria Tig. Lewis Hamilton said the fine was uncalled for, given the nature of Osaka's problems.
“It’s now making those in power think about how they react, because I think the way they reacted with the fine was not good,” Hamilton said. “Someone talking about their personal mental health and then being fined for it, that isn’t cool."
“They could have definitely handled that better," continued the Brit. "I hope they take a deep dive into it and find a better way to navigate the future. As athletes, we are pushing ourselves to the limit, we are on the edge, and we’re only human beings.”
Most young athletes are not prepared for the spotlight: Lewis Hamilton throws weight behind Naomi Osaka
Lewis Hamilton pointed out that young athletes like Naomi Osaka, who is 23 years old, often do not know how to deal with widespread public attention and the glare of the media spotlight.
"When you’re young and you’re thrown into the limelight, it weighs heavily, and most of us are not prepared,” said Hamilton.