To Naomi Osaka to open the ball. The Japanese will thus have the honor (or the chore) of performing the first arabesques of the fortnight on the Central facing the Romanian Tig. But before entering the dance, the world n ° 2, 23 years old, especially decided to send waltz … the press.
To preserve her “mental health”, the double winner of the Australian Open and the US Open has decided to abandon the post-match videoconferences where the athletes come to share their impressions, then relayed to the public. “Often, we are asked questions that we have already been asked many times or questions that make us doubt and I will not submit to people who doubt me”, she justified with aplomb. .
Her surprising choice logically earned her the wrath of the organization of the tournament and the embarrassed call to order from the WTA, which manages the women’s circuit. Even if Osaka gave a message to say that she had nothing against Roland-Garros, the new muse of world sport, both activist (against racism and for the cause of women) and machine cash (more than $ 55 million in earnings over the last twelve months, including 50 from twenty sponsorship contracts, which will largely allow him to pay the fines for his future defections), could not ignore the fund of resonance of his act. On the contrary…
“The media are an important part of our sport”
“We know what we sign for as professional tennis players,” slips world number one Ashleigh Barty. Press conferences are part of the job. Of course, this can be a difficult time to manage. Personally, I have never had a problem answering questions. It does not prevent me from sleeping. “An opinion shared by Rafael Nadal who has already” suffered “perhaps 150 passages on the platform in the corridors of the Central if we count the number of matches (102 including 100 victories), the meetings before tournament or final, etc.
“I respect his decision, but without the press, without the people who travel to write about us, we wouldn’t be the athletes we are today. We wouldn’t have the same recognition, the same popularity, explains the man with the 20 Grand Slams. The media are an important part of our sport. “
A bit mischievous, Daniil Medvedev would even see it as cheaper therapy than a psychiatrist’s couch. “I win very few matches on clay, and that can drive me crazy,” smiles the world No. 2. I always try to come to conf, whether I’m in a good mood or in a bad mood. And when I’m in a bad mood, I sometimes even feel a lot better after talking to you. “
A little more at ease than the Russian on the surface, Osaka never got past the third round in Paris. Evil tongues say that this year is the best way to save money …
