Naomi Osaka Quits French Open So She Doesn’t Have To Talk To Press

By Paulina Enck

Star Naomi Osaka has just decided to step away from the French Open — and the entire sport of tennis — rather than be interviewed about the tournament. The number-two-ranked women’s tennis player and highest paid female athlete took to Instagram and Twitter to make her announcement.

Early in the tournament, she expressed her intention to skip the mandatory tournament press conferences, claiming the questions are repetitive and harming her confidence. She likewise criticized the tournament’s requirement of “do press or you’re gonna be fined” to harm athletes’ mental health. This decision incurred a $15,000 fine, along with a threatened suspension, as one of her contractual obligations for playing in the tournament is engaging with the press.

Rather than face journalists or wait to be kicked out of the tournament, Osaka stepped away herself, in order to do “the best thing for the tournament, the other players and [her] well-being.” She minimized her earlier attacks on the tennis press, shifting focus to discussing the depression she faced since her victory in the 2018 U.S. Open. Osaka defeated Serena Williams in an exciting upset, but the win was overshadowed by Williams’s penalty for throwing and breaking her racket in anger, and fans booed as Osaka took her trophy.

full story at https://thefederalist.com/2021/06/01/naomi-osaka-quits-french-open-so-she-doesnt-have-to-talk-to-press/