In a statement to the media on Wednesday, No. 2 ranked Naomi Osaka announced she would not be answering questions from the media at this year’s French Open.
At the Slams, a player will usually speak to the press before the tournament begins and hold a press conference after winning their match so that the journalists can ask questions. The players are required to do so, otherwise they will be fined.
But 23-year-old, Naomi Osaka, wrote on social media that she would pay any fine levied against her – she said she is taking this unusual step in order to maintain her mental health.
“We’re 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,”
Osaka wrote.
She compared the media’s questioning of athletes after a loss to “kicking a person while they’re down.”
She added:
“nothing personal to the tournament,” but is her way of sending a message to the organizations that “continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation.”
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