Naomi Osaka, the Controversy

[tented]

Osaka should go on Oprah: get a friendly environment in which to reset this, and calm things down.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I am sorry for Osaka's mental issues. It is well known that she is introverted and very shy. I still remember her first major speech in the spotlight after winning IW.
She herself told that it would go down as the worst speech by a winner in history.

Having said all that, I still think she has an obligation to participate in the interviews, no matter how stupid the questions are. The interviews happen hours after the match is over and one should have time to gather themselves. It is part of the job and one should do it whether one likes it or not.

The only thing I would change is the requirement to keep the loser in the finals around for the speeches etc making life difficult for them. Send the loser away from the court immediately (don't require them to give a speech or talk to press immediately) but conduct an interview on the same day after an hour or so.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I think for Osaka, she really has to decide how to make the media work for her. She is a slam winner. She will always be tennis media fodder whether she wants it or not. Deciding to limit or not have a relationship with media is a Catch-22. If she decides not to or limit it, she limits her ability to possibly control the narrative. This is part of the job whether you think it is fair or not. If she can’t handle the media as much as it pains me to say it, then she should consider another career which is more low key and will keep her off most radars. Otherwise, she has to figure out her best path forward.

 

[kskate2]

@tented
I guess she could go on Oprah, but I think she needs to reach out to a veteran top player she respects and admires, who's been playing for awhile and knows how to navigate the tour and the press. Swallow whatever pride she might have and accept some help from someone who knows. Then like Sharapova, she needs to hold a press conference, apologize and show people that she's conquered her fear of the public, she's ready to take the tour by storm and will be that strong WTA representative the tour needs.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Osaka should have come out first and foremost saying she has been struggling mentally since USO 2018 ,then all this Drama could have been avoided.,she hinted at it when she put out a post saying she would not be doing press at RG.
If she was going through mental issues in 2018 why didn't seek professional help? you would have thought people closest to her,knowing her the best,would have picked up signs,she was having depressions issues.

 

[don_fabio]

@tented
I guess she could go on Oprah, but I think she needs to reach out to a veteran top player she respects and admires, who's been playing for awhile and knows how to navigate the tour and the press. Swallow whatever pride she might have and accept some help from someone who knows. Then like Sharapova, she needs to hold a press conference, apologize and show people that she's conquered her fear of the public, she's ready to take the tour by storm and will be that strong WTA representative the tour needs.

And ditch that wanker of a boyfriend. She deserves better. I have no idea where she even found him, under which stone?

As for depression, she won 3 slams been depressed, I would take it anytime, to be depressed and achieve that much. Most folks can't do even simple things while depressed.

Hope she gets stronger out of this, cause I like her, but at this moment it seems huge step backwards.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Osaka should have come out first and foremost saying she has been struggling mentally since USO 2018 ,then all this Drama would have been avoided.,she hinted at it when she put out a post saying she would not be doing press at RG.

I don’t know that she needed to tell everyone. She could have easily decided I need to take some time off for myself and left it at that.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I don’t know that she needed to tell everyone. She could have easily decided I need to take some time off for myself and left it at that.

Point taken,I think in her first message to me it hinted that she was having problems.Hindsight is a wonderful thing,to me she should not have attempted to play RG,withdrew before the tournament started,as we know now she has been struggling with bouts of anxiety and depression since USO 2018.

 

[tossip]

The other question is what about her sponsors? They can’t possibility be happy about any of this. No one would want to be the sponsor of the racket of the person who withdraws from a major because they don’t want to talk to the press.

I guess she is taking on too many endorsements and all money is not good money.I think she is being pulled in different directions $$ and doesnt have the capacity to say no.
I hope she is not doing all this to be at the Met Gala

 

[Hoergren]

Here is an answer from the media - sort of
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...-osaka-shows-up-problems-of-press-conferences

 

[tented]

Here is an answer from the media - sort of
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...-osaka-shows-up-problems-of-press-conferences

My response to this writer: Give me a break. As Martina put it this morning, the hard part is playing the match; the press conference is easy.

 

[El Dude]

It seems that many seem incapable of seeing things from Osaka's eyes and trying to understand what she is actually saying. Depression is a real thing, as is social anxiety. If you don't suffer from either, then it is easy to write it off and say she needs to be stronger and play her role like a good little tennis star. Meaning, Naomi, don't be an introvert, don't be depressed, and don't have social anxiety; seek help and be what we want you to be (something you're not).

I think this whole thing says a lot more about our cultural norms and expectations (especially around introversion and mental health) than it does Osaka.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Toni Nadal,frank as usual.He thinks Osaka made a mistake by not making tournament officials aware of the depth of her problem before the French Open.

 

[Moxie]

Venus has the quote of the week on the press:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/venus-williams-naomi-osaka_n_60b6b27ee4b001ebd46b3042

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Venus has the quote of the week on the press:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/venus-williams-naomi-osaka_n_60b6b27ee4b001ebd46b3042

Venus has always been a straight talker to the press,that was a typical example of how she handles the press.Well done Venus

 

[kskate2]

Venus has the quote of the week on the press:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/venus-williams-naomi-osaka_n_60b6b27ee4b001ebd46b3042

This is how you deal w/ the media. And Vee is pretty introverted. Definitely not the firecracker her sister is.

 

[kskate2]

It seems that many seem incapable of seeing things from Osaka's eyes and trying to understand what she is actually saying. Depression is a real thing, as is social anxiety. If you don't suffer from either, then it is easy to write it off and say she needs to be stronger and play her role like a good little tennis star. Meaning, Naomi, don't be an introvert, don't be depressed, and don't have social anxiety; seek help and be what we want you to be (something you're not).

I think this whole thing says a lot more about our cultural norms and expectations (especially around introversion and mental health) than it does Osaka.

I know you're not saying she shouldn't get help. There are resources out there to assist no matter what someone's issues may be. No one is saying depression isn't real and she can't have it. Admitting you have it is half the battle. The other half is actually doing something about it. I'm having a hard time reconciling the team around her isn't aware what's going on and doing what's best for her career and life.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It seems that many seem incapable of seeing things from Osaka's eyes and trying to understand what she is actually saying. Depression is a real thing, as is social anxiety. If you don't suffer from either, then it is easy to write it off and say she needs to be stronger and play her role like a good little tennis star. Meaning, Naomi, don't be an introvert, don't be depressed, and don't have social anxiety; seek help and be what we want you to be (something you're not).

I think this whole thing says a lot more about our cultural norms and expectations (especially around introversion and mental health) than it does Osaka.

While depression is indeed real and one should take care of it without having any taboos about it, the post match presser is not a cultural issue. Post-match presser happens in all the countries where tennis tournaments are being played. This may sound harsh, but it is part of her duty whether she is depressed or not to do the presser. Sometime you play a match while carrying an injury and similarly sometimes you would have to do the presser while not being mentally well (or else you always have the option of skipping in both the cases).

 

[Moxie]

It seems that many seem incapable of seeing things from Osaka's eyes and trying to understand what she is actually saying. Depression is a real thing, as is social anxiety. If you don't suffer from either, then it is easy to write it off and say she needs to be stronger and play her role like a good little tennis star. Meaning, Naomi, don't be an introvert, don't be depressed, and don't have social anxiety; seek help and be what we want you to be (something you're not).

I think this whole thing says a lot more about our cultural norms and expectations (especially around introversion and mental health) than it does Osaka.

I'm much more in agreement with you than most seem to be on this thread. It has been long-known that Naomi Osaka is socially awkward...she calls herself out on this. It's charming for the rest of us, but it is difficult for her. And it's great for Venus that she has a way to elegantly to tell them to go fuck themselves, but she's a seasoned vet, already through the wars, and she doesn't suffer the same issues.

I think too much is being made on this thread of Naomi setting a "bad precedent." I don't think she was saying she'd never speak to the press again. She was asking for a little space, in a particular Major where she doesn't feel her game is strongest. The way I took it, she was asking to try to be focused and to compete to her best ability, and she asked for some understanding on that. And she did speak on-court, after her first round match. So that was already a compromise. But then the powers that be came down very hard on her stance, and she bailed on the tournament. I think they provoked that.

I think we can all agree that the press conferences tend to be repetitive, tedious and sometimes cruel. I think we can also agree that what we ask of a tennis player is their best on the court, which comes from being supremely focused. Sure, there are obligations to the press and sponsors, but can we not spare a moment for those who are not as gifted in the spotlight of the raging, outside circus? A post or two I made on this was accidentally deleted, which is fine, but forgive me if I'm repeating myself. Not everyone is as effortless in press as Roger, or as clever and funny as Roddick or Li Na. Or Ash Barty. And most players do it, or not, and no one cares. But the super-stars are expected to do more. When one pushes back, to say it is not in her bailiwick, the powers-that-be come down hard on her head.

To me, their first, second and third job is to play great tennis, which includes training hard and staying focused on goals. The job of management is to make them comfortable in that. If someone says that they need a little distance from the press circus, I don't know why that can't be heard. Look at the great players who have bottomed out without that support: Borg very specifically asked to be given some space, and was denied, so he quit at 26. Jennifer Capriati. Marion Bartoli. These are champions who burnt out. There are other examples, I'm sure. We can discuss why, but it has to do with the tennis powers not caring that the pressure was a lot on them. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to press obligations. It needs to be discussed. Not every player is born to it. And I don't think it is fair or kind to say, "Just suck it up and take the money." I'm going to say this again: we ask a lot of what they do to play good/great and focused tennis. I think they should be given the occasional break if the circus is too distracting.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I'm much more in agreement with you than most seem to be on this thread. It has been long-known that Naomi Osaka is socially awkward...she calls herself out on this. It's charming for the rest of us, but it is difficult for her. And it's great for Venus that she has a way to elegantly to tell them to go fuck themselves, but she's a seasoned vet, already through the wars, and she doesn't suffer the same issues.

I think too much is being made on this thread of Naomi setting a "bad precedent." I don't think she was saying she'd never speak to the press again. She was asking for a little space, in a particular Major where she doesn't feel her game is strongest. The way I took it, she was asking to try to be focused and to compete to her best ability, and she asked for some understanding on that. And she did speak on-court, after her first round match. So that was already a compromise. But then the powers that be came down very hard on her stance, and she bailed on the tournament. I think they provoked that.

I think we can all agree that the press conferences tend to be repetitive, tedious and sometimes cruel. I think we can also agree that what we ask of a tennis player is their best on the court, which comes from being supremely focused. Sure, there are obligations to the press and sponsors, but can we not spare a moment for those who are not as gifted in the spotlight of the raging, outside circus? A post or two I made on this was accidentally deleted, which is fine, but forgive me if I'm repeating myself. Not everyone is as effortless in press as Roger, or as clever and funny as Roddick or Li Na. Or Ash Barty. And most players do it, or not, and no one cares. But the super-stars are expected to do more. When one pushes back, to say it is not in her bailiwick, the powers-that-be come down hard on her head.

To me, their first, second and third job is to play great tennis, which includes training hard and staying focused on goals. The job of management is to make them comfortable in that. If someone says that they need a little distance from the press circus, I don't know why that can't be heard. Look at the great players who have bottomed out without that support: Borg very specifically asked to be given some space, and was denied, so he quit at 26. Jennifer Capriati. Marion Bartoli. These are champions who burnt out. There are other examples, I'm sure. We can discuss why, but it has to do with the tennis powers not caring that the pressure was a lot on them. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all answer to press obligations. It needs to be discussed. Not every player is born to it. And I don't think it is fair or kind to say, "Just suck it up and take the money." I'm going to say this again: we ask a lot of what they do to play good/great and focused tennis. I think they should be given the occasional break if the circus is too distracting.

The first road to recovery for anyone battling depression,anxiety is to come out and ask for help or get professional help.It is not a sign of 'weakness'.Many people assume that a 'professional athlete is not only strong physically but also mentally.I am glad Naomi has come out and said she has battled depression and anxiety since the USO 2018.I hope she takes the necessary time to get the professional help she needs,whatever that time frame should be in her case.