Naomi Osaka and her plight of mental health and the entire saga of withdrawing from Wimbledon 2021 reminds of the amount of distance Tennis needs to cover in
“The best thing for the tournament, the other players, and my well-being is that I withdraw so everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris”. These were some of the words of the lengthy statement that Naomi Osaka released, citing her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open. The reason was more grave than we think. As Naomi Osaka pulled out of the Wimbledon too, we must remember that mental battles can be as tough to overcome as physical injuries.
Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Wimbledon 2021
But what triggered Naomi Osaka to pull out why did the public reacted to how they did? All it took was Osaka spewing out the words, “I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros” for an ocean of insensitive remarks to come crashing down at her. Names like drama queen and privileged brat did rounds unprecedentedly.
None of the players showcased strong support either. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic felt that press conferences are part of the sport and players are obliged to do it.
The likes of Iga Swiatek and Ashleigh Barty also considered it as part of the job and opined they can’t run away from it. Shockingly, Belinda Bencic accused the Japanese star of trying to be in the news. And yet, an upsetting part of the episode was the biggest governing bodies not taking the time to think where Osaka is coming from. Instead, they delivered a detailed statement of how they would swing the sword for safeguarding your mental health.
Roland Garros already saw it fit to impose a jaw-dropping fine of $15000 if she continues to fail to fulfil her media obligations. But that was not the most disturbing part of it all. The 23-year old admitted to battling anxiety and depression since 2018. Osaka also revealed she did not intend for the situation to get so severe.
However, even as Osaka was ready to pay the fine, the media and the organizers did not see consider it. Instead, the stakeholders saw it valid to slap far worse sanctions to get her back in line.
Are press conferences so crucial these days in Tennis?
The Naomi Osaka fiasco has begged the question of whether press conferences are that essential world of social media. It is true that athletes sign a contract, making them legally bound to attend the pressers. However, they should be free to forgo it as long as they pay the fine. And Osaka was ready to adhere to it. Moreover, the heart of the matter also is whether the media obligations need to be part of the player’s contracts.
Naomi Osaka also revealed of not being a natural public speaker and getting waves of anxiety before speaking to the media. The youngster admitted of being stressed enough to find the best answers to deliver to the journalists.
“I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media. I get really nervous and I find it stressful to always try to engage and give you the best answers I can,” she wrote.
And yet, there existed tweets where Osaka was slammed for coming out about her condition and took it as an apology for her behaviour. Naomi had declared she had spoken privately to the tournament organizers that she was going to take some time away from the game. But let’s talk about whether pressers are indeed essential in the age of social media.
Social media has connected all of us in a way that athletes, in particular, cannot remain separated from the fans as they used to be. Hence, even without the press conferences, players can convey to a mass group of people about what is on their minds. Athletes suffering losses deserve an enormous amount of praise for keeping themselves together and pressing all the overwhelming emotions they might be going through only to answer the reporters’ questions through calmness.
Thus, believe it or not, as glamorous as their lives may appear, only a few can see what lies on the other side of the coin. They are constantly in the firing line time and again and run the risk of being the subject of criticism from several corners of the world. Thus, the organizers should leave the athletes to concentrate on what they get money for – which is to show up on the field and perform to the best of their abilities.
Let’s imagine for a second if Naomi Osaka’s parents might have told her even if you are great at what you love, you can’t do your job at the highest level if you cannot be proficient in public speaking. We would not have witnessed a Japanese taking the sport to new heights at a tender age by defeating a 23-time Grand Slam winner.
Naomi Osaka hopes to make her country proud as the Tokyo Olympics beckon
By withdrawing from the Wimbledon, Naomi Osaka may have resumed the debate of mental in professional sport. In the larger scheme of things as well, most players hesitate to communicate about their mental health troubles. Hence, whether anything can be done to make it more comfortable deserves a discussion.
There’s no doubt people wish to see Naomi Osaka back to where she belongs as her golden years are still ahead. But at present, the Japanese must recover and be in the best possible mental state. If that has to take precedence over Wimbledon, then she is right in skipping the event. An Olympic gold medal hanging around her neck in front of her fellow Japanese would undeniably be the perfect redemption.
Cricket is starting to move forward in this regard. The likes of Glenn Maxwell and Will Pucovski are the most recent ones to take a mental health break. The pair also received Cricket Australia’s full support in doing so. Moreover, Indian captain Virat Kohli hailed him for opening up about his mental well being and urged others to take time off if not in the best state. It’s high time Tennis steps up too.
Also Read: Watch: Emotional Andy Murray Reduced To Tears After A Triumphant Return At Queen’s Club 2021