Internet Culture

Tennis champion Naomi Osaka’s thought-provoking Twitter post explains why she won’t do post-match interviews

Osaka cited mental health concerns regarding stressful press conferences.

Photo of Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

naomi osaka
JC/Wikimedia (CC-BY)

Tennis champion Naomi Osaka won’t answer any press questions at this year’s French Open, citing mental health concerns. In a thought-provoking Twitter post, Osaka criticized the way athletes are obliged to attend press events, explaining that it’s a needlessly stressful experience.

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“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” she wrote. “I’ve watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room.”

Describing the situation as “kicking a person while they’re down,” she highlighted the fact that she’ll have to pay a fine for refusing to do press at the French Open: “I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity.”

As one of the top-ranked tennis players in the world, she can afford it. But she’s also speaking out on behalf of athletes who don’t feel able to take this stand.

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Plenty of athletes are visibly uncomfortable with media obligations, the most iconic example being the 2015 Super Bowl press conference when Marshawn Lynch repeatedly told the press, “I’m here so I won’t get fined.”

In the world of tennis, Venus Williams was fined $5,000 for skipping a post-match interview in 2016. The fine money traditionally goes toward the Grand Slam Development Fund, providing financial aid for international tennis coaching.

Osaka’s statement attracted a positive reception on social media, with sports journalist Jemele Hill tweeting that this is “Another reason the lack of diversity in media is a big problem. Not saying this drives her decision, but minority athletes are predominately covered by white journalists.”

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Others are praising Osaka’s choice to prioritize self-care in a high-pressure environment.


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