English translation of an archived publication. The roles, rules and references cited reflect its original publication date.
Before the start of the French Open, tennis player Naomi Osaka announced that, because of the profound anxiety caused by meeting journalists, she would not take part in press conferences that year. Overwhelmed by the controversy arising from her refusal, she ultimately announced her withdrawal from the competition.
This historic stance led the organisers of the four Grand Slam tournaments to state that breaches of her media obligations could result in additional fines, exclusion from the Paris tournament and even suspension from future Grand Slam tournaments.
The organisers’ concerns about compliance with media obligations were undoubtedly legitimate.
However, this attitude reveals a profound lack of understanding not only of elite athletes’ mental health, but also of mental #illnesses such as anxiety and chronic depression.
Indeed, these are the very symptoms experienced by the Japanese player, who has also withdrawn from Wimbledon.
The IOC issued a statement indirectly supporting Naomi Osaka’s position. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, athletes will not be penalised if they refuse to attend press conferences.
Naomie Osaka will be able to experience the Tokyo Olympic Games with greater peace of mind.
📸Abaca