Naomi Osaka Is Refusing To Speak To Media In Order To Preserve Her Mental Health During French Open: тАШNothing PersonalтАЩ
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Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka plans to skip doing any press when she competes in the French Open, and took to Instagram to explain why.
тАЬHey everyone, hope youтАЩre doing well, IтАЩm writing this to say IтАЩm not doing any press during Roland-Garros,тАЭ she begins, using the official title of whatтАЩs commonly known as the French Open.
тАЬIтАЩve often felt that people have no regard for athletesтАЩ mental health, and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,тАЭ she continues.
тАЬWeтАЩre often sat there and asked questions that weтАЩve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and IтАЩm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me,тАЭ adds the 23-year-old tennis phenom.
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тАЬIтАЩve watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have as well. I believe that whole situation is kicking a person while theyтАЩre down and I donтАЩt understand the reasoning behind it,тАЭ she states.
тАЬMe not doing press is nothing personal to the tournament and a couple journalists have interviewed me since I was young so I have a friendly relationship with most of them,тАЭ she wrote, stating that giving ultimatums to athletes is wrong.
тАЬHowever, if the organizations think that they can just keep saying, тАШdo press or youтАЩre gonna be fined,тАЩ and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centrepiece of that cooperation then I just gotta laugh,тАЭ adds Osaka.
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тАЬAnyways, I hope the considerable amount I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity,тАЭ she concludes.
Reps for the French Open have yet to comment on OsakaтАЩs statement; currently, players at the French Open are obligated to speak with members of the press upon request.
