Naomi Osaka was told she couldn’t have it both ways as she was reduced to tears at her press conference since her withdrawal from Roland Garros for mental health reasons.
The four-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from Roland Garros on May 31 after being threatened with expulsion for refusing to perform his media duties.
Osaka was in tears during his press conference
The 23-year-old also retired from Wimbledon before returning for the Olympics, which were held in her native Japan, and suffered an unexpected premature exit.
She agreed to attend her first press conference in nearly three months and found herself reduced to tears when asked how to balance perceived issues with press conferences and leverage her profile.
“It’s interesting: I would say the occasion, when doing the press conferences, is what I feel the most difficult,” Osaka said, before pausing.
“Actually, I’m very interested in this point of view.
.
Osaka has become a superstar since its breakthrough in 2018
“For me, I think it’s something that I can’t really speak for everyone, I can only speak for myself.
“But since I was younger I’ve had a lot of media interest in me, and I think it’s because of my experience as well as the way I play.
“Because I am first and foremost a tennis player, which is why a lot of people are interested in me.
“So I would say in this regard that I’m quite different from a lot of people, and I can’t really help but say that some things that I tweet or say create a lot of news stories or things like that.
.
Osaka lost in the third round in women’s singles at the Olympics
“But I would also say, I don’t really know how to balance it too, I’m finding out along with you, I would say.”
Osaka then collapsed trying to listen to the next question.
The world number two then left the press conference to pull herself together, before returning.
Osaka plays at the Western and Southern Cincinnati Open as she prepares for the US Open later this month.
She’s likely to be in the limelight again and Simon Jordan has argued that answering questions from the media is an integral part of being a top tennis player.
He told talkSPORT: “I’m never really on the side of the media having the right to do certain things, but I don’t think there was anything fundamentally wrong with the question he asked. .
“It wasn’t too robust. He was not harassing and he was not harassing the woman. He didn’t rush her for a series of answers.
Osaka has won four majors in his career, but has struggled to deal with the media
“The reality is you have major sponsors like Louis Vuitton and whoever else has it, paying tens of millions of pounds.
“It is not because of media opportunities that A.) its performance on the tennis court is derailed but B.) its commercial viability allows them to monetize it through the media.
“To a certain extent, she can’t have it both ways.
“She is not capable, rightly or wrongly, she is clearly not capable of performing in front of the media, which is an integral part of being one of the best tennis players in the world. world.
“She should really be taken off duty and have a sabbatical where she is mentally able to deal with the task she has as a tennis player.
“After spending time with tennis and tennis players, the strength of mind to be a tennis player almost replaces other sports except golf and other individual sports because you are only dependent on yourself- same.
talkSPORT
Jordan had a say in the Osaka situation
“You have to have immense mental strength and courage to be at the top of the sport.
“There’s one element that makes me think it came with his form. She doesn’t play well in clay court tournaments.
“All of a sudden her form made her wonder at tournaments and she wasn’t comfortable.”
Campaign Against Living Miserably ambassador and mental health activist Leon McKenzie also told talkSPORT that Osaka needs to be taken care of by his team after breaking up at the press conference.
The former Premier League striker said: “She will only know the right time. She volunteered to have this interview and obviously it wasn’t a good time.
“The problem we have here is that there is no balance. Whoever takes care of her really needs to get hold of things.
“She comes forward to try to speak, but actually looks confused with what she is trying to articulate.
“It’s sad to see because we don’t want to see anybody fall apart and I think the question asked was right, but she couldn’t answer the question correctly.”
