Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the ongoing French Open a day after she was threatened with expulsion for her decision to boycott post-match press conferences at the tournament.
In a statement she posted on her social media channels, Osaka said that she "never wanted to be a distraction" adding that she suffers from anxiety when speaking to the media.
Osaka's decision found support in fellow tennis players like Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and CoCo Gauff, high profile US athletes like Stephen Curry and Ja Morant, US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former tennis player Martina Navratilova.
After her first-round win at Roland Garros on Sunday, the second seeded Osaka failed to appear for the press conference and was subsequently fined $15,000.
Osaka is the world's highest paid female athlete ever and has a huge following in Japan which has led to lucrative sponsorship deals with All Nippon Airways and Nissin among others.
She has also won praise for speaking out against racism and social injustice famously wearing face masks bearing the names on black victims of violence during her her victorious 2020 US Open campaign which was held in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.
Though many top players have skipped press conferences after losing a match and have copped fines, this is the first time that a player has announced in advance of their decision to not engage with the press.
Why was Osaka boycotting press conferences?
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, announced in a statement on social media that she would not be "doing any press during Roland Garros". The 23-year-old explained that she took the decision to shield herself from the mental health effects of being subjected to questions from the media.
"I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one. We are often sat there and asked questions that we've been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me," she said in her statement.
While stating that her decision is "nothing personal" against journalists, with most of whom she enjoys a "friendly relationship", Osaka criticised tennis governing bodies and tournament organisers for ignoring "the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation" and threatening them with fines for not fulfilling their media roles.
Osaka has generally enjoyed a good relationship with the press with their humorous interactions being the source of YouTube compilations. Press conferences and media interactions have also been a way for her loyal fanbase in Japan to stay in touch with the star.
However, after her first-round exit at the 2018 Wimbledon, Osaka cut short her post-match press conference saying that she felt like she would cry.
How did Osaka's peers reacted?
Osaka's decision does not seemed to have found support in the tennis world. While many of the players said that they understood and respected her decision, they believe that interacting with the media is a part of their job.
Nadal, a 13-time champion in Paris said that even though he respected her and understood why she took her stand, the media has played an important role in popularising the sport and players.
"For me, without the press and without the people who write the news and the achievements that we are having around the world, we would probably not be the athletes that we are today. I don't think we would have the recognition that we have around the world and we would not be that popular.
Said defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek, "Talking to press after a loss, is not the most enjoyable thing to do. It may be hard, but I feel like with proper kind of support and, with distance and balance, it's part of the job."
How Did Roland Garros react?
In a joint statement, the organisers of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open said that Osaka faces expulsion from the ongoing tournament in Paris as well as triggering a major offence investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions.
Stating that engaging with the media is a responsibility for the players which "is a major contributor to the development and growth of our sport and the fan base of individual players".
The Grand Slams said that following her initial announcement, teams at Roland Garros approached Osaka to reconsider her decision and tried to "check on her well-being, understand the specifics of her issue and what might be done to address it on site" only to be met with no response from the World No 2.
The Grand Slams added that the mental health of players is of the "utmost importance" to them and that they have significant resources focused on improving player well-being.
Osaka reacted to the fine and the joint statement by tweeting out "anger is a lack of understanding. change makes people uncomfortable".
The French Open also shot itself in the foot for a now-deleted tweet which took a dig at Osaka. The account posted photos of Kei Nishikori, Aryna Sabalenka, Rafael Nadal and CoCo Gauff engaging in media activities along with the caption "They understood the assignment". The tweet drew the ire of former player and pundit Rennae Stubbs who called the tweet humiliating.
Given the lack of support from her peers and the warning of a possible expulsion from the French Open, Osaka's decision might just end up backfiring on her.
