Naomi Osaka’s refusal to participate in press conferences in Paris sparks fierce debate among tennis pundits and prompts a swift response by the four Grand Slam events.
The world is discussing tennis again. And as usual when we have the attention of the greater sports universe, the narrative isn’t about actually playing tennis. In fact this time, it’s regarding talking about tennis–or rather NOT talking about it. Naomi Osaka stated on Twitter last week that she is refusing to participate in press conferences at the French Open:
Strictly from a tournament impact perspective, this is probably not a huge deal. Osaka is…well, she’s not fantastic on clay (that was me being nice). In fact, she’s never been past the third round; so her “boycott” was probably never going to be more than a couple of rounds. But on every other level, it’s a VERY big deal–with implications that could literally shape the future of the sport.
Want to know how you can tell it’s a big deal? Because all four Grand Slams conferred with each other and on Sunday. They drafted a prompt, terse statement, “explaining” to Osaka that if she continues to refuse to talk to the media, official sanctions could extend FAR beyond the usual fines and may result in default from the event.
If you just thought to yourself “Um…whoa…For what amounts to missing two pressers?,” you’re not alone. But let me assure you it’s about WAY more than two pressers.
Consider the following food for thought:
- If Osaka continues to refuse to speak to the media, she’ll force tournaments (and the WTA and ITF) to choose between being able to use her face and name to sell tickets, and permitting what will almost certainly become a full player mutiny. You can be sure that the four majors are well aware that their ability to maintain any semblance of control over their events hangs in the balance.
- Fines mean less than nothing to players as wealthy as Osaka. They are no deterrent whatsoever.
- Not only does tournament and WTA/ATP control hang in the balance, but the extended future of tennis journalists do as well. The media is invited to tournaments to provide exposure for the event. If players don’t bother to show up for pressers, why would tournaments spend all of the time and trouble hosting writers who could just as easily cover the event from home?
- Osaka isn’t wrong about how poor press conferences often are. It’s hard to argue that a player who just lost a heartbreaking match is in a good mental state when she knows there is a press room full of the unsympathetic waiting to ask questions like “What did she do better than you today?”
Tennis journalists who were previously enamored with Osaka and her activism are a little more circumspect now that the biggest star in the WTA has rejected the whole lot of them…even if that rejection is currently only for a singular event at which she has been particularly unsuccessful. Because like the Grand Slam events, they all know that this could get way, WAY bigger than a few missed pressers.
Naomi’s sister, Mari took to Reddit to post the following:
Mari Osaka’s entire post is interesting, but perhaps the most revealing is “There is the argument that she can afford to skip while others can’t. What if they want to and she’s setting a precedent…?”
Which is exactly the point. They DO want to. Pressers are often boring, sometimes absurd and even occasionally horrid. I was at a presser for Rafael Nadal once and a “journalist” asked him where he went when he took a bathroom break. “You left the court during the match. Where did you go?” A disgusted Nadal replied, “The TOILET?!” If I were a player, I’d want to skip my presser if I had the opportunity….and I say that as an occasional participant.
Like every other professional player, electing to compete in a tournament includes a direct agreement to fulfill media obligations. By that standard, Ms. Osaka is “wrong”…but it doesn’t mean her point is without merit. Venus Williams was left in tears and had to excuse herself when she was asked about a fatal car accident in which she was involved several years ago. It had NOTHING to do with tennis and it was absolutely awful to watch.
It should also be noted that Osaka certainly isn’t the first player to forego media obligations nor will she be the last. Novak Djokovic left last year’s U.S. Open after he was defaulted without doing his press conference and happily paid the fine.
So why is this different than Djokovic? Perhaps she didn’t mean for it to, but Osaka’s “statement” sounded less like an explanation and more like a threat. The four majors certainly took it as such, and they recognize that being accused of “ignoring the mental health of athletes” is a serious business. The media is still an important part of the sport’s future, and if they permit Osaka to set this precedent, the media will not be able to do their job properly. It’s as simple as that.
was Osaka aware of the shitstorm this would cause when she made her decision?
I don’t like match losers being interviewed, that seems gratuitous to me.
In answer to your q. she’s a very strong young woman, would she even care?
Nope. No way she knew. Tournaments have trained her to believe that she can do whatever she wants as long as she has a good reason. Remember in Cincinnati (NYC) last year? After the Jacob Blake shooting, she protested by refusing to play. The tournament responded by canceling play for EVERYONE for the entire day rather than defaulting her.
Obviously, I’m not criticizing Osaka or Cincy for making those decisions. That was a horror worth protesting. What I’m saying is that it taught her to think that tournaments will always make concessions for her. She thought wrong.
The thing is that Rafa was in no way harmed by someone, however ridiculously, asking him about whether he went to the toilet. Truly absurd question but like any mature person in the public eye, he answered and shrugged it off. He’d learned to do that already by the time he was 18. I guess it’s fine if this generation (beyond Osaka) has had it with putting up with the press — but they need to know that changing the system also has consequences. They need to also be OK with a less popular sport that brings in less money and attracts fewer fans. Putting sports journalists out of work might not be their best option.
Part of the problem is the quality of questions being asked. There are too many ‘journalists’ (really they are reporters, and clueless ones at that) who don’t know anything about the game. Then they ask questions which are pointless, inconsiderate, or outright trolling. Or they put up questions that have been asked and answered before, because they don’t do any basic research.
If administrators can find a way to improve the overall standard the issue would at least be lessened – but it won’t go away. Professional athlete press conferences by their nature sometimes waste the athlete’s time while they’re in an emotional state. There’s always going to be a degree of irritation.
I remember only too well when Andy was asked, in an on court interview, by Jim Courier, whether he preferred Kate or Pippa (Middleton.”
The guy should’ve faced a life ban for crimes against inanity.
Part of a free society is that no one can control the questions asked by the press, so that’s not going to change. And sadly, there will be absurd, rude and even hostile questions on occasion, but the thing is that there are real and teachable ways to deflect these for public figures. Not sure if she ever has, but maybe Naomi’s team should consider putting her through a media training course. She can still be herself but just have tools for escaping questions that annoy her and giving the press enough to satisfy their curiosity. It might allow her to feel more protected and confident. Honestly, the press already seem to love her like crazy. A lot of tennis players have it much worse.
I absolutely disagree with Osaka and I think she should be defaulted and banned from every grand slam if she continues with this foolishness, let’s see whether she’ll risk it. There’s pros and cons in every situation in life. You can’t have it your way all the time.
Her success is getting to her head that she feels she can do this with impunity. Smacks of arrogance and nothing else and referring to it as mental health is absurd and incredibly offensive to those who are suffering from real mental health issues.
I hardly watch press conferences because most of them are just diabolically absurd. I just read the transcripts mostly. The questions and outright disrespect shown to players is sometimes very unbearable. But it comes with the territory, you sign up to be a professional tennis player, you must do press conferences and other requirements to promote the sport.
The press is a vital part of tennis because it helps in it’s global outreach. Fans and people generally want to know a players mind and opinion about the match they won and even lost and many other things relevant to the subject matter. It leads to endless articles promoting the sport and players themselves. This and some others are the good aspects of press conferences. We all know the bad aspects. The good aspects are non-negotiable and cannot be disregarded. The broader conversation should be how to make press conferences a better environment for players with some of the absurd questions they ask there. It can be modified to be better if work goes into it.
Naomi is a grown woman not a child and her sister’s remark is just as rubbish as hers. Players have gone through far worse than Naomi can even imagine but they shrug it off and keep moving bc that’s what adults do instead of acting like a petulant child and demanding that you’ll boycott this and that. Rafael Nadal was at a press conference in the US open and started cramping and I remember to my horror how he was treated there and the headlines and endless embarrassing jokes made about it which I can’t ever mention bc it’s so disgusting. Rafa moved on despite the horrid embarrassment. Why? Because he’s a grown man and that’s what grown people do. Naomi can stand for BLM and campaign for it resiliently taking all the praise and criticisms from people and be a lioness in the court demolishing opponents like serena williams and co at will wit utmost courage n tenacity but she cant take a press conference at the French where she’ll most certainly lose bc she’s horrendous at clay all in the name of mental health, but of course if she was a clay expert like Justin henin she sure as hell will not boycott anything. How convenient for her. Utter Nonsense. Let’s call a spade a spade.
I find her remarks (after what the four grand slam body said to her) very condescending. She should be punished to the fullest extent if she continues like this. Let the tennis powers that be modify and improve press conferences for the players sake and mitigate some of the foolishness going on there to help create a better environment for players but as for Osaka and her boycott, she should suffer all the consequences bc if she goes unpunished, this will open floodgates of terrible situations in tennis with players boycotting anything and acting anyhow with impunity and journalists put out of their jobs with regards to tennis and also because we all know the foundation of Osaka’s boycott is selfishness bc she’s just terrible on clay, period.
She walked out of press conference after beating at Wimby,another surface she doesn’t like.
“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Osaka has left the kitchen, at least for now. It’s her decision. She’s a free agent. Maybe it’s better for her fragile mental health if she doesn’t play tennis. She’s already filthy rich. She could do something else with her life. Possibly study “mental health” since that seems to be a concern of hers. I can’t work up much concern about it.
For one thing, I never liked Osaka! She seems much too pretentious for me and based on her current behaviour, it certainly qualifies it for me. I am not saying that the pressers are not sometimes annoying but in life quite a number of things are but sometimes we have no choice but to put u with them. Cleaning my teeth at the dentist is very much annoying, but should I just decide to never have my teeth cleaned?!! She just sounds to me like a spoilt brat and if she decides to quit tennis I can’t say I’ll miss her!! Good riddance already!!!
I sympathized with Naomi..and support her 100%..like Serena said,everyone is different..not everyone is the same..some r thick,and some r not..some r tough & some r fragile..problem is peoples expect athletes like Naomi to be tough all the time..to do right things all the time…u screwed things up & u will be critized & when u stand up for yourself,u will be judged & executed..sometimes without knowing their real problems..
It’s very easy to judge & give a harsh verdict when u don’t have a problem like Naomi & millions of other’s who have mental problems..but to give them a bit of sympathy when they’re needed the most is not hard i think..
Tho it will be a huge loss to WTA when Naomi take a break..coz she’s just a great champion & has a great personality…I like her… Stay strong Naomi!!
I agree with you and I feel the officials have handled this in an incredibly heavy handed way.Huge misunderstanding/prejudice about mental illness is wide spread, even now.
Ohh yes M!…They’re definitely didn’t do Naomi’s justice!…As the highest officials in tennis governing body,they should find a way how to solve the problem & not just giving a fine & forget about it…’Ok!..that’s settled!’..
Ironically,seeing the head of FFT gave a short written statement without taking a single question from reporters just makes me laugh!😆…Such hypocrites!…How about fine him 15k as well??
I hate hypocrisy. The treatment of Naomi looked extremely like bullying to me. There are far more serious issues which officials are conveniently ignoring.
Thank you for being a strong advocate and voice for the vulnerable, sweet MA 💝. I can see many reasons why she might be vulnerable in this world. My heart goes out to her…💐
U’re most welcome RC!😃👋…I feel for her actually…and i am more p#$%d when peoples questioning her action or so called motives or the tournaments officials just eager to punish her rather than look into the deeper problems…
Depression & anxiety is a serious problems & should be dealt with a seriousness as well..
There’s someone out there whom i love dearly also has anxiety problem..u just stay strong over there ok?Focus only on yourself & not to other things that can bring u down..Always think positive in everythings..that’s the key..💪❤
Nice tweet from Martina:
“I am so sad about Naomi Osaka. I truly hope she Will be ok. As athletes we are taught to take care of our body, and perhaps the mental and emotional aspect gets short shrift. This is about more than doing or not doing a press conference. “
Gosh man, this snowflake generation! Everything is a mental issue these days!! EVERYTHING!!
Naomi handled this very badly! Y didn’t she go to the organizers and explain her ‘mental’ issue? I doubt they would have been as ‘heavy handed’ as some are suggesting. Rather she felt she could just threaten the organization and that would be that! If she does have ‘mental issues’ I wish her the best but it’s still no excuse for her behaviour, sigh!! Pressors are part of the sport and participating. If she already had ‘mental issues’ then she should have alerted the organization. But I understand y that was not an option for her, her ‘issue’ only comes on when she loses!!! Grow up, Naomi!!