The leaders of the four Grand Slam tournaments responded Tuesday to tennis celebrity Naomi Osaka’s magnificent withdrawal in the French Open by promising to tackle players’ concerns regarding psychological health.
The four-time significant winner and No. 2-ranked participant was fined $15,000 when she did not talk to reporters following her first-round victory in Roland Garros on Sunday. The following day, Osaka pulled from the championship completely, stating she encounters”enormous waves of stress” before fulfilling the media and showing that she has”suffered long bouts of melancholy.”
Osaka, a 23-year-old who had been born in Japan and moved with her family into the U.S. at age 3, said she’d”take a while away in the courtroom today, but if the time is right I really need to work together with the Tour to talk about ways we could make things easier for the players, fans and press.”
Tennis players are needed to attend news conferences when asked to do this; Grand Slam principles permit fines up to $20,000 when they do not appear.
“On behalf of the Grand Slams, we need to provide Naomi Osaka our aid and help at all possible as she takes away time from the courtroom. It’s both complex and personal, as what influences one person doesn’t necessarily impact another. We commend Naomi for discussing in her very own words the anxieties and pressures she’s believing and we grapple with the exceptional pressures tennis players can confront.”
“It is in our interests to make sure we continue to present a respectful and qualitative environment that permits all stakeholders to perform their job for their very best skill, without affecting their health, and also for the benefit of the game,” Bowler composed.
Different tennis players, such as sisters Serena and Venus Williams, supplied support for Osaka.
Venus Williams, a 40-year-old that has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and another 14 in combination along with her younger sister, stated in a news conference following her weight reduction Tuesday in Roland Garros she finds it”certainly not simple to do media, I believe, for any individual.”
Asked how she managed that within her livelihood, Williams responded:”For me, personally, how I cope with it was I understand each and every man asking me a question can not play too as I could and never will, therefore regardless of what you say or what you write, you will not ever light a candle for me. So that is how I cope with this. But every individual deals with it otherwise.”
Others commended Osaka to be forthcoming about her private story in her announcement Monday on social networking.
“It is hard. Nobody actually knows what anybody is going through, however far they decide to reveal on the exterior. I didn’t have a clue about her. However, I respect her willingness,” 20-year-old American ace Ann Li said after her success. “Our generation is getting more open and receptive, which is a fantastic thing as well as a terrible thing sometimes. I hope she is doing OK.”
Gael Monfils, a 34-year-old from France who won Tuesday, offered a opinion definitely shared by many about tennis, from tour and tournament officials to athletes into the game’s enthusiasts.
“We want Naomi. “We want her back to the court(in ) the media conference — and rear pleased.”
