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.
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