Scandal at Roland Garros: one of the best tennis players in the world asked not to give lectures to take care of her mental health and now she could be expelled

The Japanese Naomi Osaka was sentenced to pay a fine of USD 15,000 for having refused to appear at the press conference this Sunday at Roland Garros, and is exposed to disqualification from the tournament if he insists on his position, the organizers announced.

“We advise Naomi Osaka that if she continues to decline her media obligations during the tournament, she risks other consequences related to violations of the code of conduct (…) Repeated violations result in harsher penalties, including exclusion from the tournament, and they can lead to the opening of an investigation that could lead to even more important sanctions and a suspension of the Grand Slam tournaments, ”says the letter issued this Sunday and signed by the organizers of the four Grand Slams.

One of those who referred to the matter this Sunday was Rafael Nadal himself, who was consulted about it: “I understand it, but on the other hand, for me, without the press, those who write the news and the achievements we have, we would probably not be the athletes that we are today, we would have the recognition that we have, and we would not be so popular ”.

The 23-year-old Japanese woman had announced on Wednesday his intention not to appear at press conferences at Roland Garros to protect his mental health. “If the authorities think that they can simply continue telling us ‘go to the conferences or you will have a fine’, and ignore the mental health of the athletes who are the essential element, then I prefer to laugh at it,” he wrote on his social networks.

“After these statements, the Roland Garros teams asked her to review her position and try, unsuccessfully, to speak” and asked “what could be done to help her”, you can read in the text of the entities, who insist on the fact that Osaka was aware of the possible consequences of her decision.

This Sunday, in his statement, the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open They reaffirmed their willingness to help players who need psychological help, especially due to the pandemic: “The mental health of the players in our tournaments and on the circuit is of the utmost importance for the Grand Slams. Individually and collectively, we dedicate important means for the well-being of our players. To continue improving the situation, however, we need the commitment of the players ”, he adds.

“We must emphasize that the rules are established to guarantee an identical treatment between all players and female player.s, regardless of your status, your convictions or your results. There is nothing more important in sport than the guarantee of fairness among athletes. It is regrettable that in the present case it has not been respected, where one player refuses to dedicate time to participate in media engagements while all the others do, ”they point out.

After her victory this Sunday against the Romanian Patricia Maria Tig (63rd) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), Osaka She must face fellow Romanian Ana Bogdan (102nd) on Wednesday in the second round.

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With information from AFP