The decision of Naomi Osaka, the number two in the world of tennis, to withdraw from the French Open has fueled a lot of controversy even outside Roland Garros. On the one hand, the fans of the champion who defend her motivations with the sword, on the other hand the organizers of the tournament on clay. A drastic choice, which comes after days of tension due to the decision of the Japanese tennis player not to participate in the planned press conferences because they are harmful to her mental health. “Retiring is the best thing for the tournament, for the other players and for my health, so that everyone in Paris can focus on tennis again,” Osaka writes on her social media profiles.
The fine and the risk of disqualification
The 23-year-old was fined $ 15,000 yesterday and threatened with disqualification by tournament organizers after refusing to hold a mandatory press conference following her first round victory. On the eve of Roland Garros he said that post-match interviews were sometimes like “kicking people when they’re down”. “I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and that my message could have been clearer – continues the message on twitter from Osaka, four-time winner of the Grand Slam title -. The truth is that I suffered from bouts of depression after US Open 2018 and I struggled a lot to live with all this. “
— Naomi Osaka Naomi Osaka (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021
Extreme shyness and social anxiety
“Those who know me know that I am an introverted person, everyone has seen me in tournaments: you will have noticed that I often have headphones, which help me control my social anxiety”, he continues. “Although journalists have always been kind to me , I don’t feel in a natural position when I have to speak in public and before speaking to the media around the world I am overwhelmed by anxiety attacks. I feel nervous and find it stressful trying to give the best answers, “he says again.
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However, the situation precipitated in Paris. “Here I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious, I thought it would be better to protect myself and avoid conferences. I communicated this in advance, I wrote privately to the tournament apologizing and saying that I would be happy to speak after the tournament.” However, the mediation was not successful.
The counterpart’s version
The organizers of Roland Garros, who are now accused by the tennis player’s fans of having no sensitivity in the face of a problem such as depression, speak of essential contractual obligations linked to participation in the tournament and of misunderstandings: it seems that in the beginning Osaka has refused to attend press conferences, inviting her fellow tennis players to do so, only later would the tragedy of depression emerge. Maybe there is no time for a conciliation: “I will take some time away from the pitch, at the right moment I want to discuss with the Tour to discuss how we can improve things for players, press and fans”, concludes Osaka.
