On 27 May 2021, Naomi Osaka posted on her Instagram account that she would not do any press conference for the ongoing French Open tournament.
This is what she wrote: “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.”
She also mentioned that the press asks questions that athletes have answered several times already and that some of the questions create self-doubt in the athletes.
Several people supported her, but for unknown reasons, she deleted this Instagram post shortly afterward.
When she won her first-round on 30 May, she decided not to speak with the press.
Now, talking to the press is a part of the contract for the players playing Grand Slam tournaments (French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open).
And so, the Grand Slam bodies released a joint statement that Naomi’s conduct was a breach of contractual media obligations.
And the French Open referee issued her a US$15,000 fine while stating that the mental health of the athletes is very important.
They said they were fining Naomi to keep it fair for the other players who were meeting their media obligations despite similar challenges.
On 31 May, Naomi dropped out of the tournament, saying that it was in the best interest of the tournament and her well-being.
Naomi said she had been struggling with depression since 2018 and experiences anxiety talking to the press.
The controversy has divided the world into two halves—on the one hand, there are people who support her stance, and on the other, there are those who believe her conduct is unprofessional.
Those criticising her believe it is her quick rise to fame that has overwhelmed her (At age 23, she has won too much, and in 2020 alone, she earned $55 million).
Some also say she wanted to avoid the press because of her poor record on clay (French Open is played on clay, unlike other Grand Slams).
Clay court is said to be her least favourite surface, and her sister also said that Naomi was upset with the negative assessments of her performances on clay.
