Naomi Osaka withdraws from French Open

[Anonymous]

I don't like celebrity gossip, never have. And now that we're coming out of a pandemic, it feels gross to see stories like this when we're all suffering. Incredibly tone deaf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She did this after winning the first round and was fined for refusing to appear at the subsequent international press conference. What do you all think of the sports requirement that athletes speak to media even when they’re uncomfortable?

Snowflake.

I find it so interesting when people show such hostility toward other people taking care of their mental health, especially when it has no effect on the hostile person. It makes me wonder what they’re so defensive about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She apparently was OK enough with being in the public limelight that she signed enough endorsement deals to make her the highest-paid female athlete. But if engaging with the press is too stressful for her she can find another job, or perhaps just live off her current earnings, and the tour will go on.

Hmm... Thank goodness she has you to tell her what to do.
Maybe this will start a change eventually, but someone has to be first. Though things don't often go well for the first one, like Kaepernick.

Will be interesting to see whether any of her sponsors sue her for breach of contract. They didn’t stuff millions in her pocket so she could walk away from Grand Slam events because she wasn’t in the mood to talk to reporters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She did this after winning the first round and was fined for refusing to appear at the subsequent international press conference. What do you all think of the sports requirement that athletes speak to media even when they’re uncomfortable?

Snowflake.

I find it so interesting when people show such hostility toward other people taking care of their mental health, especially when it has no effect on the hostile person. It makes me wonder what they’re so defensive about.

She herself said that the Slams are "intense". To compete at that level not only do you have to be physically tough, but mentally tough. She can't just pick and choose when she wants to interact with the media. Isn't she active on social media? I always wondered why the USTA did not choose to support her through her developmental years. She must not have done well on their mental assessments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She did this after winning the first round and was fined for refusing to appear at the subsequent international press conference. What do you all think of the sports requirement that athletes speak to media even when they’re uncomfortable?

Snowflake.

I find it so interesting when people show such hostility toward other people taking care of their mental health, especially when it has no effect on the hostile person. It makes me wonder what they’re so defensive about.

She herself said that the Slams are "intense". To compete at that level not only do you have to be physically tough, but mentally tough. She can't just pick and choose when she wants to interact with the media. Isn't she active on social media? I always wondered why the USTA did not choose to support her through her developmental years. She must not have done well on their mental assessments.

That was quite the deflection.

[Anonymous]

This is an anonymous forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really wish she hadn't felt like she should withdraw. There should NOT be a rule that athletes have to speak with press, either before or after competing, in any competition.

Again, this is how the prize money gets determined. It's how much the media & advertisers are willing to pay. We could probably have sports with no interviews, but the prize money will be less. If someone wants to start a tournament with that set-up, they should feel free. Saying there should not be requirements is crazy. All jobs have requirements.

I’m saying this shouldn’t be a requirement of the job.

+1 It should not be a requirement. The press can report on the details of the actual matches. There will also always be extroverts happy to be interviewed. Why force it as a demand on the likely small number of athletes who aren’t up for it? And why push it to the point where spectators and players will now miss the chance to see and experience a truly gifted player — because she’s not also comfortable with the way the press is handled?

Because hearing from the athletes is part of what drives interest in the sport which translates into money for the winner.

Hearing from the tennis players at one of those ridiculous post-match press conference does not drive the interest in the players/sport. If I want to hear from Naomi, Rafa, Nole, Roger, Serena I am going to watch their matches and follow them on social media. Not those stupid press conferences.

[Anonymous]

Quite frankly, assuming she hasn’t done anything crazy to deplete her winnings and has a decent financial advisor, she can retire today and live a very comfortable life. I am assuming that those of you who are critical of her actions this week don’t have kids. If my DD took this stance I would be incredibly proud of her.

If you read her posts, she also indicated that she would be available for interviews after the tournament. Why does anyone need more than that?!

[Anonymous]

Remember when Michael Jordan tried this at the All Star Game? Never. Happened. Again. So she’s fine with the media when they cover her Black Lives Matter stance she made at the US Open last year and used her clelebrity to get out that message. But not to talk to as is required by the WTA? She’s on wrong side of this. If her mental health was so fragile as talking to the press was too much, she shouldn’t have played. She here we are. But she will not be able to opt out of the part of the tournament that generates fan interest and therefore the $$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a typical Millennial—I feel “uncomfortable“ therefore it must be a mental illness. I should not have to interact with people if I don’t wanna! Even if they are paying me millions of dollars which they get from selling not only my game but who I am. Boo-hoo! The millions I’m making are not enough if I have to talk to people.

Seriously, enough already. People should interact with each other. It’s part of our humanity. Not everyone loves it but get over yourself.

Every gen Y and Z (under age 40) has anxiety and/or depression. Everyone is a professional victim -- even A-list mollycoddled filthy rich athletes. Oh the stresses of flying on private jets and everyone bathing in praise and luxury.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quite frankly, assuming she hasn’t done anything crazy to deplete her winnings and has a decent financial advisor, she can retire today and live a very comfortable life. I am assuming that those of you who are critical of her actions this week don’t have kids. If my DD took this stance I would be incredibly proud of her.

If you read her posts, she also indicated that she would be available for interviews after the tournament. Why does anyone need more than that?!

You’d be proud your child thought she could pick and choose what part of her work contractual obligations she would do? Interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Quite frankly, assuming she hasn’t done anything crazy to deplete her winnings and has a decent financial advisor, she can retire today and live a very comfortable life. I am assuming that those of you who are critical of her actions this week don’t have kids. If my DD took this stance I would be incredibly proud of her.

If you read her posts, she also indicated that she would be available for interviews after the tournament. Why does anyone need more than that?!

You’d be proud your child thought she could pick and choose what part of her work contractual obligations she would do? Interesting.

And then quit when they told her she had to play by the rules? Laughable.

[Anonymous]

I love the part where she says she’s an introvert. Because she’s the FIRST introvert to be a world famous tennis player. Learn your tennis history, Naomi. Maybe call Steffi Graf. She hated the spotlight and is a introvert. She managed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember when Michael Jordan tried this at the All Star Game? Never. Happened. Again. So she’s fine with the media when they cover her Black Lives Matter stance she made at the US Open last year and used her clelebrity to get out that message. But not to talk to as is required by the WTA? She’s on wrong side of this. If her mental health was so fragile as talking to the press was too much, she shouldn’t have played. She here we are. But she will not be able to opt out of the part of the tournament that generates fan interest and therefore the $$$.

- So, you’re arguing that it’s the chattering afterwards rather than the games themselves and the skills involved that generate interest? I guess things have really changed since I last seriously followed tennis.
As to the mental health issues, you don’t need to agree with her stance to understand that many mental health issues do not have the same broad impact on every type of behavior or in every situation. Social anxiety, for example, or phobias are focused impairments, even when the impairment is severe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She apparently was OK enough with being in the public limelight that she signed enough endorsement deals to make her the highest-paid female athlete. But if engaging with the press is too stressful for her she can find another job, or perhaps just live off her current earnings, and the tour will go on.

Hmm... Thank goodness she has you to tell her what to do.
Maybe this will start a change eventually, but someone has to be first. Though things don't often go well for the first one, like Kaepernick.

LOL! See who paved the path for him...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olympics_Black_Power_salute

and then dig deeper for the others that did it before them.....


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali

and the others before who sacrificed so much more so Naomi could exercise her multi millionaire privilege.

Embarassing.