The Telegraph
Naomi Osaka to stop answering press questions at French Open over mental health concerns
Naomi Osaka will not take questions from the media at the French Open after insisting the nature of press conferences impacts on the mental health of players. Japan’s four-time Grand Slam champion said expecting players to answer questions after a defeat amounted to “kicking a person while they’re down”. The 23 year-old posted on Twitter: “I’m writing this to say I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros. “I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one. “We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me. Osaka insisted the decision was “nothing personal” against the tournament and that she hopes the “considerable” fine she expects to receive will go to a mental health charity. The French Open gets under way in Paris on Sunday. Naomi Osaka’s statement in full “Hope you’re all doing well, I’m writing this to say I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros. I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes [sic] mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one. “We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me. “I’ve watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well. I believe that he whole situation is kicking a person while they’re down and I don’t understand the reasoning behind it. “Me not doing press is nothing personal to the tournament and a couple [of] journalists have interviewed me since I was young so I have a friendly relationship with most of them. “However, if the organizations think that they can keep saying ‘do press of you’re gonna be fined’, and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation then I just gotta laugh. “Anyways, I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity. “