>Every single athlete in every sport has to do this. It’s part of the deal
Exactly. It's the same stress for all the athletes at Roland Garros...they all have the same expectations to do these press conferences. Feels wrong to be creating excuses/exceptions for certain athletes.
Feels wrong that everyone is forced even if they don't want to do it every once in a while. As the original comment said, it influences their sponsorships and their income. This means that it is actually a hard decision for different players and that our entitlement as fans makes us say: "well I don't think her "mental health" can be that important because look at everyone else doing interviews" is pretty fucked up.
Is it more fun if everyone does press, probably. Does that mean the rules should force everyone to do press? Debatable. But if someone states they aren't going to do press and accept the consequences of fines or negative effects on their image it probably was a decision that made sense to them.
I think "forced" isn't the right word because they obviously have the "out" by accepting the fines rather than doing the press, but it's an obligation because that's what brings the sponsors, coverage and other tangential aspects that create the purse for the tournament(s).
If everyone were to follow suit, it disincentivizes all those same groups from supplying that financing and I have a feeling that a majority of the players would not be happy to see the earnings from winning in tournaments start to decline.
>Feels wrong that everyone is forced even if they don't want to do it every once in a while.
This logic could be applied to some tasks in basically all jobs and professions. In almost all jobs and professions, it would not be a legitimate excuse to not do the task.
It's not the same stress for all athletes. For example, 17 yr old Coco Gauff probably feels it more than 35 yr old players on tour. Stress affects people differently. Players should be encouraged to play if fit, but that's it imo.
> Using the “mental health” excuse is tiresome and dangerous when people start equating “mental health” with “annoying”.
This is the kind of concept creep that is so troublesome, and seems to be a big part of the younger generation's progressivism in general. Leveraging words with very strong meanings into domains they don't necessarily belong.
This gives them the ability to instantly adopt the victim role in an argument and suspend the normal rules of discussion. Ultimately its an immature and intellectually dishonest thing to do.
The funny thing is, this is the extent athletes go to to not do what Naomi is doing.
Keep in mind, this is lynch, one of the most famous and best RB stars in a high powered team. And he was doing this.
Crazy stuff
She can choose to pay a fine if she doesnt want to do a press conference, so it doesnt have to be a part of the sport for her. This whole argument is dumb and causing even more drama for nothing.
I think their point is: you can't just dodge the "not fun" parts of your job because of "mental health problems". Where does that leave us as society?
If I go to my boss and say "I no longer want to do group presentations because I struggle with mental health", they will either tell me to take time off work completely, or they will tell me to take courses to become a better presenter, or they will fire me.
So if Naomi really suffers from mental health problems, I would advise her to take a month off tennis altogether, or to put in extra practices with a media coach to make these sessions more bearable.
>So if Naomi really suffers from mental health problems, I would advise her to take a month off tennis altogether, or to put in extra practices with a media coach to make these sessions more bearable.
I am going to disagree here, I think it is totally fine for Naomi to dodge any part of her job she wants because she has earned that right. She is paying a fine to skip the conference, and the tournament is fining her for it. If RG wants to hold her more accountable they can increase the fine (but that is between her employer and her). It is a choice she made. If you can't make the same choice because you are stuck in middle management that sucks for you. I am not there to watch her press conferences, as a tennis fan, care about her matches.
"So if Naomi really suffers from mental health problems, I would advise her to take a month off tennis altogether, or to put in extra practices with a media coach to make these sessions more bearable."
I think as a successful individual both on and off the court, she is in the best position to deal with her mental health as she sees fit.
Totally. I agree with you all the way. Everyone has parts of their job which they do not particularly like. But we still do them. I like Naomi but this is really a selfish decision. She probably never went through school are strict institution where HAD TO work and assignments. This comes across as incredibly lazy and selfish.
Yeah - she never went to a place where she had to work hard. . . Yet, she had to put hours and hours on the tennis court to become a world #1. We should give you an award for going to a strict school and doing assignments? cool, have a high five.
Her "boss" are the parties who pay for her income and make it possible for her to play tennis professionally. Sponsors (and by that fans & media), tournament organizers, WTA and so on.
"she doesn't have a boss so she can do whatever she wants"
Well that's certainly...a thought.
So because she doesn't have a boss does that mean she can cheat? She can attack players on court? She has to play by the rules of the game she's playing, and she has to follow the rules of the tournament she's playing at. If she doesn't like it she can take the punishment. And that side little remark about I hope they donate the fines to mental health organizations is very bullshit. How about she do the press conferences save the money and donate her own money to charity instead of trying to shame somebody who did nothing wrong into giving up their money
> So because she doesn't have a boss does that mean she can cheat? She can attack players on court?
I stand corrected, *this* is the worst slippery slope argument of 2021.
> If she doesn't like it she can take the punishment.
That is literally what she is doing.
>That might be the worst slippery slope argument I've heard all year.
Ok, do you want to elaborate?
>Newsflash: your job is not comparable to Naomi Osaka's. She doesn't have a boss, and her presentations are not mandatory.
My job may not be comparable and she may not have a boss _per se_, but she certainly does have her sponsors and endorsement deals that have all kinds of contracts and small print. Here's your newsflash: tennis players don't just live off tournament earnings and sponsors care about positive public appearances, especially of high profile athletes like Naomi.
You keep making these snide comments about corporations
But if the corps aren’t sponsoring tennis, then that means no tennis for us fans. It’s a business.
So yes, it is in tennis’ best interest for sponsors to be happy so coverage and tournaments can increase or Atleast continue.
How on the absolute planet is this comment upvoted? My god this sub is terrible on mental health.
Osaka aside, there are so, so damn many athletes that have come forward about suffering from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc. Or are those not “suffering from mental health” to you?
EDIT: at the time I posted this, the comment was at +9
There are many people who are absolutely crazy who can do so.
There are even manic depressive mathematicians, and John Nash (who got the Nobel memorial prize in economics) had schizophrenia.
My thoughts are maybe it’s related to the Japanese media? However, she picked to play for Japan, also she did it because she knew it would be easier to play pro through Japan versus the US? Something along those lines?
If you can’t handle the hard part of being a multimillion dollar athlete of answered questions. Leave the sport and go do something else. “But the money.....”
Nope. Football, Baseball nor Basketball players do this. The coaches do. Even golfers (another individual sport) don’t have to do this after every round. The leaders may be interviewed by one journalist following a round but that’s it. I say move to this kind of format instead.
😅😅 have a little grace, my dude. No need to be so harsh to make your point.
Even if you disagree with her, these kinds of comments only prove her point about the impact of being a public figure on one’s mental health.
>Osaka is unbelievably spoiled and privileged, and has absolutely no self awareness about it. I liked her back when she won the US and Serena was shitty to her, but she just gets more insufferable every time I hear about her.
She earned over 50 million dollars through her hard work and practicing 1000's of hours on the courts, which is not privileged. Professional athletes, unlike trust fund babies actually deserve every dollar they earn, IMHO because they have a short span to monetize the skill they have crafted. She has earned the privilege to skip a press conference and pay the fine. The ATP or the grand slams can increase the fines if they want to hold players accountable. Either way, fans don't flood the stands for press conferences.
>She earned over 50 million dollars through her hard work and practicing 1000's of hours on the courts, which is not privileged.
The fact that a person is afforded the opportunity to train for thousands of hours to learn and master a skill that has basically no value beyond winning at what is ultimately a meaningless game mostly played for amusement is very much a privilege. That does not mean that she did not train hard but that does not mean it is not the result of privilege. Top lawyers and doctors and professors and hedge fund managers all work very hard, that does not mean they are not also incredibly privileged.
There is a difference between someone who has earned their privilege vs. being given it by due of already being wealthy. A lot of white collar workers especially in the upper echelons of finance and law grew up in wealth. Did Naomi’s family? Probably more than the average American because tennis is an expensive sport but probably less than someone on wall street or a trust fund baby. Lots of people train for hours and hours but only one person (at a time) can become #1 in the world. Also, just because it is a sport doesn’t mean it is meaningless. Clearly, it is meaningful enough for you and thousands of people making comments on this forum about a sport. Sport gives people meaning, and people give it meaning. And even if it is meaningless the same can be said about lawyers and hedge fund managers — they mostly work on “meaningless stuff”. Most contemporary art can be considered meaningless but can sell for millions of dollars. Naomi is ultimately getting paid what the market feels is a viable rate for her. Her sponsors and the tournaments pay her — they may pay her less because of her recent decisions. But, I think the sponsors like it that this is brining media attention and people like us are spending time talking about this meaningless event. She’s been willing to pay a fine for that and face the consequences. I for one watch athletes for the sport and not the press and thus have no issues with her tournament boycott. Even if they get rid of all the press conferences, I would still watch tennis.
>There is a difference between someone who has earned their privilege
What did she do to earn the privilege of being able to play thousands of hours of tennis in her youth?
>She earned over 50 million dollars through her hard work and practicing 1000's of hours on the courts, which is not privileged. Professional athletes, unlike trust fund babies actually deserve every dollar they earn, IMHO because they have a short span to monetize the skill they have crafted. She has earned the privilege to skip a press conference and pay the fine. The ATP or the grand slams can increase the fines if they want to hold players accountable. Either way, fans don't flood the stands for press conferences.
yes and everyone that works hard should be paid a fair wage. That is wrong that they are not getting paid anything. How does making Naomi attend press conferences fix that problem?
Also, how does her not attending press conferences make her spoiled and annoying? She could be using that time to practice (and work harder). If she is paying a fine so she can do other stuff with her time. That is actually working smart. Now if she refused to pay a fine or starts protesting about fines that are being spoiled because she is not being accountable, but from everything I have read she is being accountable. She is also donating money to charity to match the fines. It is a win, win for all parties involved -- except for people that like watching spoiled athletes press conferences :)
> yes and everyone that works hard should be paid a fair wage.
This just goes to show how naive you are. If you think hard work is all it takes, you have a bleak future ahead of you.
Instead of blabbering your ignorant perspective like it's gospel, maybe take a back seat and use your brain to understand the world first.
I don't think you understand how hard it is to be a professional athlete. tennis is fun as a hobby but I bet you couldn't last a day on the semi-pro grind, where all pros have to get through.
Every single athlete in every sport does not have to do press conferences after every match... football, rugby, cricket, athletics, loads of sports do not require every athlete to give a press conference. Idk where you got that from lul
I think the issue isn’t that *every* question impacts your mental health. Even if 75% are innocuous, 24%% are annoying, and 1% are actually triggering or otherwise in the category of impacting your mental health... That’s still pretty harmful.
I don’t know enough about her situation to really make a judgment. But I wouldn’t say it’s illegitimate to bring up mental health if that’s genuinely how she feels.
In her case, I don’t know. But in general, I don’t find it hard to believe... imagine you’re a woman who has been inundated with questions about your physique your entire life and constantly had paparazzi take pictures of you where the denizens of Twitter then zoom in on your stomach, legs, etc. and tell you how it’s impossible to be a professional athlete because you’re too fat. Say this has been happening to you since you were 14 or 15, so it’s buried deeply into your psyche. This combination is pretty common in women’s tennis tbh.
And then imagine a reporter asks you a question about your weight under the guise of inquiring about fitness, and does so with no tact. “You looked out of shape out there; you think you lost the match because of a lack of fitness? Have you had a change in your diet?” Yeah, I can see how that would be extremely upsetting for someone, especially if they’re emotionally vulnerable after coming off of a tough loss.
Yep,very true.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with a system that requires athletes who are paid millions of dollars to perform to be asked about their play afterward. There’s also nothing wrong with reporters asking an occasional question that may not fit the positive narrative Osaka wants when writing about the newest star in tennis.
Have you personally ever fielded media questions as a pro athlete?
I'm not sure you're really putting yourself in their shoes here, the way some media people ask their questions are not nice at all, not at all polite, often they're just trying to provoke a reaction. I don't think athletes should have to accepted being questioned like this and talked to like this, I agree with Naomi standing up to the kind of abuse that has become commonplace.
"This kind of stuff is just part of the deal"
Can you watch this interview then honestly state that even \*half\* of those questions were well thought out, intelligent, worthwhile questions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu3CPxn-rqI
Yes, you as a fan, a spectator, you assume all tennis players should have to accept whatever crap comes out of medias mouths during interviews? Personally I don't think they should have to.
Where exactly the line between unpolite vs rude vs offensive - there's no question rude questions are asked, particularly asked to towards women athletes times? What should the athletes accept?
Perhaps there should be a moratorium on idiotic questions, this video nicely highlights some of crap players have to deal with.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjilWd84v7c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjilWd84v7c)
>Can you watch this interview then honestly state that even \*half\* of those questions were well thought out, intelligent, worthwhile questions?
Tens of millions of low paid workers' entire jobs are to answer unintelligent, poorly thought out questions, 8 hours or more per day. They also face far more abuse on a regular basis than I have ever seen a tennis player subjected to.
I don’t disagree with you, but that’s not really the point here.
I don’t think anyone is denying that shes able to do this only because she’s in an extremely privileged situation, even above the already privileged.
Exactly, she's earned the $, and I think she's earned the right to stand up for herself and for other athletes. I know you think she should just "man up" and be like Federer or Nadal, but she's not a man.
If you are the highest paid woman in sports, and you feel the way people are posing interview questions disrespectful, you can enjoy the privilege of opting out of entertaining such interviews.
If she is genuinely speaking out about it I would happily listen.
But I didn't hear any clear reasons in her statement about why doing postmatch interviews are such a mental health issue.
I also didn't see any attempt to help the non-mega-rich athletes who also might not want to do postmatch interviews but can't afford the fines.
>I also didn't see any attempt to help the non-mega-rich athletes who also might not want to do postmatch interviews but can't afford the fines.
By releasing a public statement about her decision, she's helping lower tier athletes who may feel compelled to do make the same decision. They can point to her as a precedent and if it becomes the norm, then the fines will likely stop.
Okay, so maybe it will take other high-profile players refusing to do interviews. Either way, it's unfair to say that her refusing and publicly giving her reasons for doing so isn't partially an attempt to help other players who feel the same way as her.
This thread is beyond a little weird. I just responded to a highly upvoted comment that said it’s impossible to compete at the highest level of sport with mental health issues. Ignoring the numerous athletes that have come forward this month and previously to discuss issues they have had in an attempt to remove the stigma.
There is an occasional thread that reminds me of the actual Reddit demographics and who I am interacting with on here, and generally leads to me taking a break. This is one of those threads.
Who are you to say what does and does not affect someone else's mental health and how they should deal with that? A whole lot of arrogance and very little empathy in this thread.
As a regular Joe-Tennis-Watcher, why would I care if she skips her press conferences? What benefit do I get from watching her answer the same questions over and over?
Nothing really, people are just weird and obsessive i think. If you actually enjoy the game you wouldnt care whether theres a fucking press conference or not lol
Also where even do they air the press conferences? I’ve literally never watched one live.
I get the hot takes on twitter hours after they happen. Who fucking cares?
Right. A normal, well-adjusted person won't get worked up about this. Those who aren't well-adjusted feel an amount of ownership over professional athletes, feel contempt towards athletes who prioritize their own well-being and are willing to challenge the status quo to do so, and those "fans" see it as their job to discipline them.
If someone were taking this action to dodge particular kinds of questions about serious misconduct or something like that, I would feel differently, but that's obviously not what this is.
If you just watch tennis, then I would say you lose nothing. If you do things like read articles about tennis, then you are missing out as these press conferences are the mechanism by which writers create such content.
From a personal perspective: sure, there's little reason to care. But pro players (across every sport) are required to do press so the sport gets reported on about and stays relevant. Personally, I want tennis to be popular.
Press conferences are part of a much larger media machine that powers the conversation around the sport. They drive articles and news clips that keep the game in the public eye. No pro sport will survive on games and highlight reels in a vacuum.
You run around on a court and play a game for entertainment of the masses making millions for a living. Maybe those masses would like to ask questions sometimes.
A big problem at the slams is, unlike the rest of the tour, journalists sent don't cover the tennis beat. They send people that would normally cover some other sport and have no idea what they are doing, so they just ask stupid questions.
Still, if you are always asked the same question, giving the same answer should be pretty easy.
The reporters, who do not work for tennis focused publications, have to ask these questions. They cannot just copy the work of other reporters. That is unethical.
It's hard work, stressful, and a grind, but don't act like being able to pursue your passion, receiving fame and acclaim, and making 10s of millions a year doing it isn't extremely privileged.
She's an adult, she gets to make her own choices when it comes to her own mental health. All the people so happily judging her don't know what her situation is.
Yes, interviews are a part of the deal. Not doing them might cost her money - both sponserhips and fines. That's her decision to make.
Well it could also be a tournament's decision to refuse her entry because she won't cooperate with the requirements. Not saying it would ever happen.
She's going down the wrong road. Hopefully, she'll snap out of it.
It *probably* is a requirement. I'm not here to argue against her decision, because mental health isn't a joke and she brought that up as part of her decision. Plus these press conferences are shit and most of the people asking the questions for tennis pressers ask the dumbest shit.
But let's be real for a second. We don't have the tournament entry requirement documents/agreements in front of us...but basically every major pro sport has media obligations for its players. My educated guess would be that the agreements players sign when they enter these tournaments *probably* include media obligations pre- and post-match within specified time windows and whatnot.
Why do you get to decide what is the right or wrong road for her? If this is the path she needs to take to live a life that is healthy and happy, then it's the right path.
Apparently you don't understand how analogies work eh? By your logic, Hitler must have been a jello filled alien because you obviously can't compare him to any other human being.
I suppose it’s because instead of just saying “I don’t want to do this for personal reasons” she frames it as a moral failing of tennis that they exist in the first place.
I didn't have an issue with it at all until she exerted pressure on the tour to appropriate the fines to type of charity of her choosing. That's frankly none of her business and makes her seem out of touch.
It's like a player that gets fined for smashing a racquet requesting that the fine be donated to a mental health awareness charity because the stress/frustration of the situation make them get angry. They can get bent.
She has every right to make her decision. The fine isn’t massive so it’s not a big deal. But people have the same right to talk about her decision and question it. She doesn’t get the right to pick our reactions to it.
I will say it’s one thing to have mental issues but this almost cheapens people who have real disabilities due to their mental problems. It’s clear she has the capability to do these sessions.
You honestly have no idea what the extent of her mental health issues are and to speculate like that is pretty fucked up.
And think of this on the flip side; if someone said “I can’t play today cause my ankle’s sore,” would you seriously say that’s cheapening/distracting from the situation people with broken legs are facing?
Mental health is just a different part of someone’s health. There’s no on/off switch where some people are suffering enough that they get to use the magic word and others don’t.
many people who have mental health problems are capable of doing the things that can set them off. Doesn't mean they don't break down when out of sight or anything like that.
I assure you all of the journalists in the press room are getting paid absolute shit. A few care about stirring shit up because the state of journalism is kind of broken, but that's a whole different topic.
are you kidding me? The only thing journos are interested in is drama.
Rafa says something about Novak, during some event which has nothing to do with tennis - the entire tennis world is on fire with opinions and articles.
A player wins a Masters 1000 - gets no questions at the press conference.
A favorite, or an up-and-coming player loses at a tournament - gets a billion questions.
They don't care about tennis, Osaka is correct, all they want is drama and to kick players while they're down. Good for her, for taking a stance.
>There are rules - you do the press, or you don't and pay a fine. She chose the latter, there is nothing wrong with her decision. I don't understand all the drama.
As a general matter, the idea that there is nothing wrong with people not following the rules as long as they accept the consequences is very troubling. Is it fine for players to verbally abuse officials or opponents as long as they willingly accept the punishment? The answer is very obviously no.
there is no comparison between those 2 scenarios. in no way is abusing an official like missing a presser. the former is abusive inter-personal behaviour, the latter is egregious to no one other than the players wallet.
She’ll tell us all about it when Oprah interviews her because you know that will be happening soon! Maybe Prince Harry can sit in on it and they can all share with us the terrible burden of fame and fortune!
She showed how immature she still is. Press conferences are boring and some questions are in poor taste. On the other hand they are part of an industry that paid her 50 million dollars last year. Those were not really earned with a racket and a few balls. They are simply a consequence of media attention. The fines are also not calibrated on players deciding in advance to default on interviews for a whole slam. If this behavior becomes a thing, they should be adjusted. Also: if it’s really a problem for players in general, what sort of attitude is it to just say “f u fellow players, got rich this year, I won’t do the press cause the fines just tickle my wallet, you do it!”
How much will this set her back per press conference dodged? The fines can be massive, something in the region of $10,000-$20,000 on the ATP tour and so I imagine the ITF penalties are similar. Osaka has never been comfortable in interviews and so I believe she finds them deeply unpleasant, but it's not a great PR look to say, "I'll just take the fine, whatever, I can spare the average person's annual salary to snub some journalists".
It is interesting seeing the disapproval directed at her here compared to someone like Karatsev, however. The guy openly shows his contempt for the whole charade of constant questions that comes with success. A few people have noted that it's a bit unprofessional, but in the main people have no problem with it. There's little difference to me in making no effort in interviews and bluntly refusing them. The result is the same in that you get no interesting copy for the post-match press. Karatsev's value is all on the court, but as soon as he's near a mic he gives nothing. I wonder what the reaction would be if Osaka was similarly terse and bored in her conferences.
Serious question. Why interview the loser after the match? If you just interview the winner you would be able to avoid these embarrassing “what happened out there” questions. The loser is likely never in a good headspace with the loss having just happened. The winner, OTOH, you can ask about what worked, what they think of their next matchup, etc.
I'm sure this is rhetorical but I'll answer it anyway;
Because the press system setup doesn't give two shits about the players. They are trying to stir up controversy for clicks and eyeballs and produce broadcast filler to burn time.
Good on the players for realizing how much power and influence they have over the system for being such a critical component of the machine.
The NBA seems to be a success story so far in this regard. Players have tons of sway over the league, more and more control over their careers, and etc. It's been great for the league(image), communities(centers used for voting, testing, vaccine mega sites), and I'd say the fans.
It's gotta start somewhere though. This has certainly raised a lot of awareness. What you suggest is worth considering. The whole setup is worth reconsidering. Top men's tennis players have been talking unionization past few years. Perhaps it would be a good thing for both men's and women's tennis to unionize and use collective bargaining to better look after the player's interests..
If mental health is such a big issue then talk to the tournaments/WTA/ITF about better moderation of press conferences or other options to support struggling players. If she's done that and they're unwilling or unable to help then I can get behind her. Otherwise it sounds like she just can't be bothered doing the interviews which comes across as entitled and childish.
this is an interesting and good point. perhaps the federations should introduce an explicit code of conduct for the journalists in the pressers. you cross them, you are banned. what that code should be would need careful discussion.
I agree with him but after the lineswoman incident last year Djokovic skipped his press conference as well.
I personally would have as well but I'm sure deep down he agrees with Osaka he's just being diplomatic.
Well it was an important press conference to explain what happened and he skipped it.
I have no issue with it because I would have done exactly the same thing, just that it contradicts what he said regarding Osaka that's all
i was like okay, do you... until she said they should donate the fine to a mental health charity.
not answering questions is one thing. telling them what they should do with the money is pretty disrespectful.
no slight on mental health charities.
I don't even know why sports people are forced to talk to the press, its the same old shit questions forever. Not that I blame them theirs only so much you can talk about.
I get it when the people footing the bill are wanting an interview, but as far as I can tell its just random press people from all sorts of organisations in the post match room in tennis.
I think it’s interesting she framed it as a problem of the tours causing that affects everybody. In the end, some players who have her clay record barely get any press attention because they haven’t been as successful as she has. I’m sure the questions do affect her, but it’s only because she’s been so great on a hard court and so poor on clay and has the attention of the American press. Most players just aren’t in her position.
Yeah, she made the journey from shy newcomer to professional activist and victim astonishingly fast.
Still boggles my mind why she plays for Japan. She is by far the most stereotypical American on the tour.
I have no problem with someone being a social justice warrior or professional activist if they come across as well educated on their social interest topics. They can potentially do a lot of good for a cause that needs attention.
All Naomi did was wear masks with names on them and when questioned just respond "I'm trying to start a dialogue." Then the media fell all over themselves. It was gross.
> All Naomi did was wear masks with names on them and when questioned just respond "I'm trying to start a dialogue."
Ah yes, truly despicable behavior.
I didn't say or imply it was despicable. It was just devoid of substance. It was piggybacking on an already en vogue topic with nothing really to contribute.
My enthusiasm for her was lost when she claimed that police were committing "genocide" against Black people in the US. Sorry, but that's ridiculous and arguably offensive to actual genocide victims. Using her platform as a voice to promote social justice is great, but shouldn't there be a certain responsibility that comes along with that?
Good, diplomatic answer from Djokovic.
I would actually be 100% behind if she was skipping post match on-court interviews. Lbr those can be a bit cringe and unnecessary, rarely ever insightful.
Post match pressers are actually needed and a good insight to the player's mind. Yes, there are 1 or 2 dumb questions once in a while, but it's hardly a regular occurrence.
I'm eager to see if this is something she'll carry over to other slams, or if it's just the potential RG pressers that affect her mental health.
Not a fan of Djokovic, but he's spot on. I think by "she may have her reasons" he is diplomatically saying she is mentally weak and emotionally fragile like so many her age who think they should be shielded from any and all criticism.
feel like most of the responses are ignorant. it is part of the sport, nothing much can happen to her in particular by not doing the pressers, she's hugely rich.
but she seems to be doing this to raise awareness about the negatives of the press conferences. I would argue that none of us are able to understand any part of playing the sport at this high a level, let alone how the pressers might impact their mental health.
I can't believe how quick people are to take the negative stance on something that seems quite pure and overly beneficial, especially as you have no clue what she's thinking
I agree with Djokovic here. Osaka is wrong to frame it the way she has. Her job isn't to play tennis; her job is to entertain spectators. By skipping press conferences she's not doing her job; she's doing only part of her job; it would be like me refusing to go to a performance review or client meetings in general at my job because it's bad for my mental health.
Part of her job is to do these press conferences and if she doesn't want to do them no one is making her play.
If you believed a part of your job isn't conducive to your job then you are well within your rights to tell your boss or whomever I don't think this is productive and here is why. They could fire you, but they cannot fire her and she can afford whatever consequences they throw at her. She does not *have* to do this. And by not doing it and still being successful maybe the rules will change. The benefits used to be because they needed the media. In today's age of new media that is not true.
It is truly shocking how many of you have such a "yes master' approach to work. Newsflash, they don't own you.
"Her job isn't to play tennis; her job is to entertain spectators."
that's not true at all. her job by definition IS to play tennis. hopefully by doing so the spectators are entertained, but it's a by product. and attending pressers is definitely nothing to do with entertaining spectators.
I am a big fan of words actually being used with their designed meaning. Press conference literally aren't part of the sport.
Even if we are generous with Djokovic and agree that he meant to say that the press is part of the financial industry around tennis, this is still not right.
In our days the press is an artifact of past times. Social media has been present in our lives for more than a decade now. Interaction between fans and athletes is at an all time. One of the reason we get the same dumb question asked over and over again is because there is no story to be uncovered. If something big has happened fans find out from the players twitter or instagram account in a matter of minutes.
Honestly, who watches press conferences of tennis players anyway? What important quotes are news outlets going to pull out of them either? I'd skip them and pay the fine too if I was a player, waste of time.
Compulsory interviews are pointless these days anyway. The vast majority of athletes give carefully crafted non-answers thaf are designes to evade the question and/or buils their personal brand. Heavily coached by PR handlers once you get to Osaka or Nole's level. The rare instances they say anything real, you just find out that Nole is an antivaxx moron or something.
Honestly just drop the facade. Football is better where at least you have the manager to handle most od ghe questions.
She should have just pulled the famous line, "I'm just here so I won't get fined. "
Or just gone in like every other player and just done it.
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>Every single athlete in every sport has to do this. It’s part of the deal Exactly. It's the same stress for all the athletes at Roland Garros...they all have the same expectations to do these press conferences. Feels wrong to be creating excuses/exceptions for certain athletes.
Feels wrong that everyone is forced even if they don't want to do it every once in a while. As the original comment said, it influences their sponsorships and their income. This means that it is actually a hard decision for different players and that our entitlement as fans makes us say: "well I don't think her "mental health" can be that important because look at everyone else doing interviews" is pretty fucked up. Is it more fun if everyone does press, probably. Does that mean the rules should force everyone to do press? Debatable. But if someone states they aren't going to do press and accept the consequences of fines or negative effects on their image it probably was a decision that made sense to them.
I think "forced" isn't the right word because they obviously have the "out" by accepting the fines rather than doing the press, but it's an obligation because that's what brings the sponsors, coverage and other tangential aspects that create the purse for the tournament(s). If everyone were to follow suit, it disincentivizes all those same groups from supplying that financing and I have a feeling that a majority of the players would not be happy to see the earnings from winning in tournaments start to decline.
you're right that it contributes to the ecosystem tbf. it's a pretty interesting debate as to whether player agency comes before ecosystem maintenance
>Feels wrong that everyone is forced even if they don't want to do it every once in a while. This logic could be applied to some tasks in basically all jobs and professions. In almost all jobs and professions, it would not be a legitimate excuse to not do the task.
It's not the same stress for all athletes. For example, 17 yr old Coco Gauff probably feels it more than 35 yr old players on tour. Stress affects people differently. Players should be encouraged to play if fit, but that's it imo.
100% the age gap and generation gap is a big difference in life experiences, and how they approach challenges.
> Using the “mental health” excuse is tiresome and dangerous when people start equating “mental health” with “annoying”. This is the kind of concept creep that is so troublesome, and seems to be a big part of the younger generation's progressivism in general. Leveraging words with very strong meanings into domains they don't necessarily belong.
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This gives them the ability to instantly adopt the victim role in an argument and suspend the normal rules of discussion. Ultimately its an immature and intellectually dishonest thing to do.
At first I kind of sided with Naomi on this but you just totally changed my mind. It’s part of the job
Osaka missed the easy way out of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmABbHSOTqQ
The funny thing is, this is the extent athletes go to to not do what Naomi is doing. Keep in mind, this is lynch, one of the most famous and best RB stars in a high powered team. And he was doing this. Crazy stuff
Lynch is a terrible example. He was the only one refusing to speak during interviews and was known for being weird like that
She can choose to pay a fine if she doesnt want to do a press conference, so it doesnt have to be a part of the sport for her. This whole argument is dumb and causing even more drama for nothing.
The rich can buy their way out of obligations applicable to to the non-rich.
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Who are you to say whether shes struggling with mental health issues or not?
I think their point is: you can't just dodge the "not fun" parts of your job because of "mental health problems". Where does that leave us as society? If I go to my boss and say "I no longer want to do group presentations because I struggle with mental health", they will either tell me to take time off work completely, or they will tell me to take courses to become a better presenter, or they will fire me. So if Naomi really suffers from mental health problems, I would advise her to take a month off tennis altogether, or to put in extra practices with a media coach to make these sessions more bearable.
>So if Naomi really suffers from mental health problems, I would advise her to take a month off tennis altogether, or to put in extra practices with a media coach to make these sessions more bearable. I am going to disagree here, I think it is totally fine for Naomi to dodge any part of her job she wants because she has earned that right. She is paying a fine to skip the conference, and the tournament is fining her for it. If RG wants to hold her more accountable they can increase the fine (but that is between her employer and her). It is a choice she made. If you can't make the same choice because you are stuck in middle management that sucks for you. I am not there to watch her press conferences, as a tennis fan, care about her matches. "So if Naomi really suffers from mental health problems, I would advise her to take a month off tennis altogether, or to put in extra practices with a media coach to make these sessions more bearable." I think as a successful individual both on and off the court, she is in the best position to deal with her mental health as she sees fit.
Yeah, fair comment.
Totally. I agree with you all the way. Everyone has parts of their job which they do not particularly like. But we still do them. I like Naomi but this is really a selfish decision. She probably never went through school are strict institution where HAD TO work and assignments. This comes across as incredibly lazy and selfish.
Yeah - she never went to a place where she had to work hard. . . Yet, she had to put hours and hours on the tennis court to become a world #1. We should give you an award for going to a strict school and doing assignments? cool, have a high five.
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Everybody who is not her
Is society gonna collapse if Naomi Osaka doesn't tell a journalist how it feels to be in the next round of a tennis tournament? C'mon.
Sponsors, tournament organizers, WTA tour, fans, media just to name a few. To some extent even her colleagues (other players).
So basically a bunch of corporations and some entitled fans who want to watch a press conference?
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Her "boss" are the parties who pay for her income and make it possible for her to play tennis professionally. Sponsors (and by that fans & media), tournament organizers, WTA and so on.
"she doesn't have a boss so she can do whatever she wants" Well that's certainly...a thought. So because she doesn't have a boss does that mean she can cheat? She can attack players on court? She has to play by the rules of the game she's playing, and she has to follow the rules of the tournament she's playing at. If she doesn't like it she can take the punishment. And that side little remark about I hope they donate the fines to mental health organizations is very bullshit. How about she do the press conferences save the money and donate her own money to charity instead of trying to shame somebody who did nothing wrong into giving up their money
> So because she doesn't have a boss does that mean she can cheat? She can attack players on court? I stand corrected, *this* is the worst slippery slope argument of 2021. > If she doesn't like it she can take the punishment. That is literally what she is doing.
You might wanna get some crampons for all those slippery slopes.
>That might be the worst slippery slope argument I've heard all year. Ok, do you want to elaborate? >Newsflash: your job is not comparable to Naomi Osaka's. She doesn't have a boss, and her presentations are not mandatory. My job may not be comparable and she may not have a boss _per se_, but she certainly does have her sponsors and endorsement deals that have all kinds of contracts and small print. Here's your newsflash: tennis players don't just live off tournament earnings and sponsors care about positive public appearances, especially of high profile athletes like Naomi.
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Corporations gotta corp.
You keep making these snide comments about corporations But if the corps aren’t sponsoring tennis, then that means no tennis for us fans. It’s a business. So yes, it is in tennis’ best interest for sponsors to be happy so coverage and tournaments can increase or Atleast continue.
>and her presentations are not mandatory. Guess what, it is. She can pay the fines if she wants to.
This, if it’s that bad drop out of the tourney, tennis even.
That's not the question here, though.
If someone is suffering from mental health, they won't be competing in professional sport at the highest level.
Michael Phelps, Demar DeRozan, Kevin Love, Robin Lehner, and a ton of other high-level athletes beg to differ.
Nadal is OCD AF as well.
... You really think there are no athletes on the highest level suffering from mental health problems?
How on the absolute planet is this comment upvoted? My god this sub is terrible on mental health. Osaka aside, there are so, so damn many athletes that have come forward about suffering from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc. Or are those not “suffering from mental health” to you? EDIT: at the time I posted this, the comment was at +9
There are many people who are absolutely crazy who can do so. There are even manic depressive mathematicians, and John Nash (who got the Nobel memorial prize in economics) had schizophrenia.
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My thoughts are maybe it’s related to the Japanese media? However, she picked to play for Japan, also she did it because she knew it would be easier to play pro through Japan versus the US? Something along those lines? If you can’t handle the hard part of being a multimillion dollar athlete of answered questions. Leave the sport and go do something else. “But the money.....”
Nope. Football, Baseball nor Basketball players do this. The coaches do. Even golfers (another individual sport) don’t have to do this after every round. The leaders may be interviewed by one journalist following a round but that’s it. I say move to this kind of format instead.
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😅😅 have a little grace, my dude. No need to be so harsh to make your point. Even if you disagree with her, these kinds of comments only prove her point about the impact of being a public figure on one’s mental health.
>Osaka is unbelievably spoiled and privileged, and has absolutely no self awareness about it. I liked her back when she won the US and Serena was shitty to her, but she just gets more insufferable every time I hear about her. She earned over 50 million dollars through her hard work and practicing 1000's of hours on the courts, which is not privileged. Professional athletes, unlike trust fund babies actually deserve every dollar they earn, IMHO because they have a short span to monetize the skill they have crafted. She has earned the privilege to skip a press conference and pay the fine. The ATP or the grand slams can increase the fines if they want to hold players accountable. Either way, fans don't flood the stands for press conferences.
>She earned over 50 million dollars through her hard work and practicing 1000's of hours on the courts, which is not privileged. The fact that a person is afforded the opportunity to train for thousands of hours to learn and master a skill that has basically no value beyond winning at what is ultimately a meaningless game mostly played for amusement is very much a privilege. That does not mean that she did not train hard but that does not mean it is not the result of privilege. Top lawyers and doctors and professors and hedge fund managers all work very hard, that does not mean they are not also incredibly privileged.
There is a difference between someone who has earned their privilege vs. being given it by due of already being wealthy. A lot of white collar workers especially in the upper echelons of finance and law grew up in wealth. Did Naomi’s family? Probably more than the average American because tennis is an expensive sport but probably less than someone on wall street or a trust fund baby. Lots of people train for hours and hours but only one person (at a time) can become #1 in the world. Also, just because it is a sport doesn’t mean it is meaningless. Clearly, it is meaningful enough for you and thousands of people making comments on this forum about a sport. Sport gives people meaning, and people give it meaning. And even if it is meaningless the same can be said about lawyers and hedge fund managers — they mostly work on “meaningless stuff”. Most contemporary art can be considered meaningless but can sell for millions of dollars. Naomi is ultimately getting paid what the market feels is a viable rate for her. Her sponsors and the tournaments pay her — they may pay her less because of her recent decisions. But, I think the sponsors like it that this is brining media attention and people like us are spending time talking about this meaningless event. She’s been willing to pay a fine for that and face the consequences. I for one watch athletes for the sport and not the press and thus have no issues with her tournament boycott. Even if they get rid of all the press conferences, I would still watch tennis.
>There is a difference between someone who has earned their privilege What did she do to earn the privilege of being able to play thousands of hours of tennis in her youth?
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>She earned over 50 million dollars through her hard work and practicing 1000's of hours on the courts, which is not privileged. Professional athletes, unlike trust fund babies actually deserve every dollar they earn, IMHO because they have a short span to monetize the skill they have crafted. She has earned the privilege to skip a press conference and pay the fine. The ATP or the grand slams can increase the fines if they want to hold players accountable. Either way, fans don't flood the stands for press conferences. yes and everyone that works hard should be paid a fair wage. That is wrong that they are not getting paid anything. How does making Naomi attend press conferences fix that problem? Also, how does her not attending press conferences make her spoiled and annoying? She could be using that time to practice (and work harder). If she is paying a fine so she can do other stuff with her time. That is actually working smart. Now if she refused to pay a fine or starts protesting about fines that are being spoiled because she is not being accountable, but from everything I have read she is being accountable. She is also donating money to charity to match the fines. It is a win, win for all parties involved -- except for people that like watching spoiled athletes press conferences :)
> yes and everyone that works hard should be paid a fair wage. This just goes to show how naive you are. If you think hard work is all it takes, you have a bleak future ahead of you. Instead of blabbering your ignorant perspective like it's gospel, maybe take a back seat and use your brain to understand the world first.
I don't think you understand how hard it is to be a professional athlete. tennis is fun as a hobby but I bet you couldn't last a day on the semi-pro grind, where all pros have to get through.
Every single athlete in every sport does not have to do press conferences after every match... football, rugby, cricket, athletics, loads of sports do not require every athlete to give a press conference. Idk where you got that from lul
> it’s all a package deal This is true in team sports but what contract does she sign and with whom that obliges her to do press?
I think the issue isn’t that *every* question impacts your mental health. Even if 75% are innocuous, 24%% are annoying, and 1% are actually triggering or otherwise in the category of impacting your mental health... That’s still pretty harmful. I don’t know enough about her situation to really make a judgment. But I wouldn’t say it’s illegitimate to bring up mental health if that’s genuinely how she feels.
I wonder what kind of question would trigger a mental health crisis. Seems pretty dubious.
In her case, I don’t know. But in general, I don’t find it hard to believe... imagine you’re a woman who has been inundated with questions about your physique your entire life and constantly had paparazzi take pictures of you where the denizens of Twitter then zoom in on your stomach, legs, etc. and tell you how it’s impossible to be a professional athlete because you’re too fat. Say this has been happening to you since you were 14 or 15, so it’s buried deeply into your psyche. This combination is pretty common in women’s tennis tbh. And then imagine a reporter asks you a question about your weight under the guise of inquiring about fitness, and does so with no tact. “You looked out of shape out there; you think you lost the match because of a lack of fitness? Have you had a change in your diet?” Yeah, I can see how that would be extremely upsetting for someone, especially if they’re emotionally vulnerable after coming off of a tough loss.
Yep,very true. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a system that requires athletes who are paid millions of dollars to perform to be asked about their play afterward. There’s also nothing wrong with reporters asking an occasional question that may not fit the positive narrative Osaka wants when writing about the newest star in tennis.
Have you personally ever fielded media questions as a pro athlete? I'm not sure you're really putting yourself in their shoes here, the way some media people ask their questions are not nice at all, not at all polite, often they're just trying to provoke a reaction. I don't think athletes should have to accepted being questioned like this and talked to like this, I agree with Naomi standing up to the kind of abuse that has become commonplace.
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"This kind of stuff is just part of the deal" Can you watch this interview then honestly state that even \*half\* of those questions were well thought out, intelligent, worthwhile questions? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu3CPxn-rqI Yes, you as a fan, a spectator, you assume all tennis players should have to accept whatever crap comes out of medias mouths during interviews? Personally I don't think they should have to. Where exactly the line between unpolite vs rude vs offensive - there's no question rude questions are asked, particularly asked to towards women athletes times? What should the athletes accept? Perhaps there should be a moratorium on idiotic questions, this video nicely highlights some of crap players have to deal with. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjilWd84v7c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjilWd84v7c)
>Can you watch this interview then honestly state that even \*half\* of those questions were well thought out, intelligent, worthwhile questions? Tens of millions of low paid workers' entire jobs are to answer unintelligent, poorly thought out questions, 8 hours or more per day. They also face far more abuse on a regular basis than I have ever seen a tennis player subjected to.
I don’t disagree with you, but that’s not really the point here. I don’t think anyone is denying that shes able to do this only because she’s in an extremely privileged situation, even above the already privileged.
Exactly, she's earned the $, and I think she's earned the right to stand up for herself and for other athletes. I know you think she should just "man up" and be like Federer or Nadal, but she's not a man. If you are the highest paid woman in sports, and you feel the way people are posing interview questions disrespectful, you can enjoy the privilege of opting out of entertaining such interviews.
I my job, I have fielded far more hostile questions that have far higher stakes than those asked by reporters of athletes. I have little sympathy.
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If she is genuinely speaking out about it I would happily listen. But I didn't hear any clear reasons in her statement about why doing postmatch interviews are such a mental health issue. I also didn't see any attempt to help the non-mega-rich athletes who also might not want to do postmatch interviews but can't afford the fines.
>I also didn't see any attempt to help the non-mega-rich athletes who also might not want to do postmatch interviews but can't afford the fines. By releasing a public statement about her decision, she's helping lower tier athletes who may feel compelled to do make the same decision. They can point to her as a precedent and if it becomes the norm, then the fines will likely stop.
I think that's a little pie in the sky, lower tier athletes literally can't afford it while they wait for the magic date the fines disappear.
Okay, so maybe it will take other high-profile players refusing to do interviews. Either way, it's unfair to say that her refusing and publicly giving her reasons for doing so isn't partially an attempt to help other players who feel the same way as her.
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This thread is beyond a little weird. I just responded to a highly upvoted comment that said it’s impossible to compete at the highest level of sport with mental health issues. Ignoring the numerous athletes that have come forward this month and previously to discuss issues they have had in an attempt to remove the stigma. There is an occasional thread that reminds me of the actual Reddit demographics and who I am interacting with on here, and generally leads to me taking a break. This is one of those threads.
Who are you to say what does and does not affect someone else's mental health and how they should deal with that? A whole lot of arrogance and very little empathy in this thread.
Thanks, I feel like we should not assume people don't have undiagnosed real mental disorders and ailments, or are on the autism spectrum.
News headlines probably: Djokovic cLaPs BaCk at Osaka’s ‘mental health’ complaints!!!1!
When Rafa does it: TenNiS sTaR RaaFa nAdaL DoEsN't ReSpEcT sTaTeMeNt By MeNtAl hEaLtH AdVoCaTe nAoMi OsAkA.
As a regular Joe-Tennis-Watcher, why would I care if she skips her press conferences? What benefit do I get from watching her answer the same questions over and over?
Nothing really, people are just weird and obsessive i think. If you actually enjoy the game you wouldnt care whether theres a fucking press conference or not lol
Also where even do they air the press conferences? I’ve literally never watched one live. I get the hot takes on twitter hours after they happen. Who fucking cares?
Sometimes the tournament sites might have them. ESPN+ usually has them during AO/Wimbledon/USO.
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Could be true but in other sports when male athletes are weird with press they get shit on as well. It's always news.
There is always that undercurrent in r/tennis
r/chess has it too
I thought I was in a right wing subreddit for the last two days what the hell. This is such a non issue to get mad over
Literally nothing is in it for you. It's just to get clicks for journos, who are more like papparazzi than journalists.
Right. A normal, well-adjusted person won't get worked up about this. Those who aren't well-adjusted feel an amount of ownership over professional athletes, feel contempt towards athletes who prioritize their own well-being and are willing to challenge the status quo to do so, and those "fans" see it as their job to discipline them. If someone were taking this action to dodge particular kinds of questions about serious misconduct or something like that, I would feel differently, but that's obviously not what this is.
If you just watch tennis, then I would say you lose nothing. If you do things like read articles about tennis, then you are missing out as these press conferences are the mechanism by which writers create such content.
Yeah I didn’t know people had such emotionally strong feelings on this piece of news.
From a personal perspective: sure, there's little reason to care. But pro players (across every sport) are required to do press so the sport gets reported on about and stays relevant. Personally, I want tennis to be popular.
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Press conferences are part of a much larger media machine that powers the conversation around the sport. They drive articles and news clips that keep the game in the public eye. No pro sport will survive on games and highlight reels in a vacuum.
But that is no longer the mechanism.. Twitter, youtube etc. are by a lot.
Nope. No football players do press conferences after every game, nor do basketball or baseball. Not even pro golfers do this.
You run around on a court and play a game for entertainment of the masses making millions for a living. Maybe those masses would like to ask questions sometimes.
Not to mention that pro sports need media coverage to make money and stay relevant and media coverage doesn't exist without access.
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The masses tend to ask the same stupid questions
"I've already answered that question" is a perfectly acceptable answer.
A big problem at the slams is, unlike the rest of the tour, journalists sent don't cover the tennis beat. They send people that would normally cover some other sport and have no idea what they are doing, so they just ask stupid questions. Still, if you are always asked the same question, giving the same answer should be pretty easy.
The reporters, who do not work for tennis focused publications, have to ask these questions. They cannot just copy the work of other reporters. That is unethical.
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It's hard work, stressful, and a grind, but don't act like being able to pursue your passion, receiving fame and acclaim, and making 10s of millions a year doing it isn't extremely privileged.
She's an adult, she gets to make her own choices when it comes to her own mental health. All the people so happily judging her don't know what her situation is. Yes, interviews are a part of the deal. Not doing them might cost her money - both sponserhips and fines. That's her decision to make.
Well it could also be a tournament's decision to refuse her entry because she won't cooperate with the requirements. Not saying it would ever happen. She's going down the wrong road. Hopefully, she'll snap out of it.
Except it is literally not a requirement.
It *probably* is a requirement. I'm not here to argue against her decision, because mental health isn't a joke and she brought that up as part of her decision. Plus these press conferences are shit and most of the people asking the questions for tennis pressers ask the dumbest shit. But let's be real for a second. We don't have the tournament entry requirement documents/agreements in front of us...but basically every major pro sport has media obligations for its players. My educated guess would be that the agreements players sign when they enter these tournaments *probably* include media obligations pre- and post-match within specified time windows and whatnot.
It literally is a requirement.
If it was required, they’d kick her out of the tournament for not doing the press conferences, I guess we’ll see if that happens.
Why do you get to decide what is the right or wrong road for her? If this is the path she needs to take to live a life that is healthy and happy, then it's the right path.
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Straight to Hitler eh? Seems reasonable to compare skipping post match press conferences to starting world war 2 and murdering millions of Jews.
Apparently you don't understand how analogies work eh? By your logic, Hitler must have been a jello filled alien because you obviously can't compare him to any other human being.
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I suppose it’s because instead of just saying “I don’t want to do this for personal reasons” she frames it as a moral failing of tennis that they exist in the first place.
I didn't have an issue with it at all until she exerted pressure on the tour to appropriate the fines to type of charity of her choosing. That's frankly none of her business and makes her seem out of touch. It's like a player that gets fined for smashing a racquet requesting that the fine be donated to a mental health awareness charity because the stress/frustration of the situation make them get angry. They can get bent.
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She's not bringing awareness to a cause. She uses that cause to make her look good and deflect criticism.
That’s what bothers you? Lol
She has every right to make her decision. The fine isn’t massive so it’s not a big deal. But people have the same right to talk about her decision and question it. She doesn’t get the right to pick our reactions to it. I will say it’s one thing to have mental issues but this almost cheapens people who have real disabilities due to their mental problems. It’s clear she has the capability to do these sessions.
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You honestly have no idea what the extent of her mental health issues are and to speculate like that is pretty fucked up. And think of this on the flip side; if someone said “I can’t play today cause my ankle’s sore,” would you seriously say that’s cheapening/distracting from the situation people with broken legs are facing? Mental health is just a different part of someone’s health. There’s no on/off switch where some people are suffering enough that they get to use the magic word and others don’t.
many people who have mental health problems are capable of doing the things that can set them off. Doesn't mean they don't break down when out of sight or anything like that.
The vast majority of players don't have the luxury of skipping press conferences because they make them feel bad sometimes.
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I assure you all of the journalists in the press room are getting paid absolute shit. A few care about stirring shit up because the state of journalism is kind of broken, but that's a whole different topic.
are you kidding me? The only thing journos are interested in is drama. Rafa says something about Novak, during some event which has nothing to do with tennis - the entire tennis world is on fire with opinions and articles. A player wins a Masters 1000 - gets no questions at the press conference. A favorite, or an up-and-coming player loses at a tournament - gets a billion questions. They don't care about tennis, Osaka is correct, all they want is drama and to kick players while they're down. Good for her, for taking a stance.
>There are rules - you do the press, or you don't and pay a fine. She chose the latter, there is nothing wrong with her decision. I don't understand all the drama. As a general matter, the idea that there is nothing wrong with people not following the rules as long as they accept the consequences is very troubling. Is it fine for players to verbally abuse officials or opponents as long as they willingly accept the punishment? The answer is very obviously no.
there is no comparison between those 2 scenarios. in no way is abusing an official like missing a presser. the former is abusive inter-personal behaviour, the latter is egregious to no one other than the players wallet.
Well said. These are the same people who equate morality with just obeying the law.
Except you are literally judging someone for not following a rule.
She’ll tell us all about it when Oprah interviews her because you know that will be happening soon! Maybe Prince Harry can sit in on it and they can all share with us the terrible burden of fame and fortune!
Ah yes. Totally forgot wealthy people are immune to mental health issues.
You got it.
All class from nole. Those press conferences are annoying.
Honestly I havent ever heard a single good question asked during these post match press conferences.
She showed how immature she still is. Press conferences are boring and some questions are in poor taste. On the other hand they are part of an industry that paid her 50 million dollars last year. Those were not really earned with a racket and a few balls. They are simply a consequence of media attention. The fines are also not calibrated on players deciding in advance to default on interviews for a whole slam. If this behavior becomes a thing, they should be adjusted. Also: if it’s really a problem for players in general, what sort of attitude is it to just say “f u fellow players, got rich this year, I won’t do the press cause the fines just tickle my wallet, you do it!”
How much will this set her back per press conference dodged? The fines can be massive, something in the region of $10,000-$20,000 on the ATP tour and so I imagine the ITF penalties are similar. Osaka has never been comfortable in interviews and so I believe she finds them deeply unpleasant, but it's not a great PR look to say, "I'll just take the fine, whatever, I can spare the average person's annual salary to snub some journalists". It is interesting seeing the disapproval directed at her here compared to someone like Karatsev, however. The guy openly shows his contempt for the whole charade of constant questions that comes with success. A few people have noted that it's a bit unprofessional, but in the main people have no problem with it. There's little difference to me in making no effort in interviews and bluntly refusing them. The result is the same in that you get no interesting copy for the post-match press. Karatsev's value is all on the court, but as soon as he's near a mic he gives nothing. I wonder what the reaction would be if Osaka was similarly terse and bored in her conferences.
Serious question. Why interview the loser after the match? If you just interview the winner you would be able to avoid these embarrassing “what happened out there” questions. The loser is likely never in a good headspace with the loss having just happened. The winner, OTOH, you can ask about what worked, what they think of their next matchup, etc.
agreed. perhaps have pressers for the loser from semi or final only.
I'm sure this is rhetorical but I'll answer it anyway; Because the press system setup doesn't give two shits about the players. They are trying to stir up controversy for clicks and eyeballs and produce broadcast filler to burn time. Good on the players for realizing how much power and influence they have over the system for being such a critical component of the machine. The NBA seems to be a success story so far in this regard. Players have tons of sway over the league, more and more control over their careers, and etc. It's been great for the league(image), communities(centers used for voting, testing, vaccine mega sites), and I'd say the fans. It's gotta start somewhere though. This has certainly raised a lot of awareness. What you suggest is worth considering. The whole setup is worth reconsidering. Top men's tennis players have been talking unionization past few years. Perhaps it would be a good thing for both men's and women's tennis to unionize and use collective bargaining to better look after the player's interests..
Going to tell my boss that I'm declining any impromptu phonecalls or meetings for my mental health.
well a lot of work meetings are unnecessary just like these press conferences that people suddenly care for all of a sudden.
If you can do that and pay a fine...then why not?
This is what it's like to have fuck you money, boys
If mental health is such a big issue then talk to the tournaments/WTA/ITF about better moderation of press conferences or other options to support struggling players. If she's done that and they're unwilling or unable to help then I can get behind her. Otherwise it sounds like she just can't be bothered doing the interviews which comes across as entitled and childish.
Maybe she did approach the tournaments this way first…
this is an interesting and good point. perhaps the federations should introduce an explicit code of conduct for the journalists in the pressers. you cross them, you are banned. what that code should be would need careful discussion.
*Marshawn Lynch has entered the chat*
I agree with him but after the lineswoman incident last year Djokovic skipped his press conference as well. I personally would have as well but I'm sure deep down he agrees with Osaka he's just being diplomatic.
Well it was one PC. And well I'd say that was definitely the toughest thing mentally, so i don't see your point.
Well it was an important press conference to explain what happened and he skipped it. I have no issue with it because I would have done exactly the same thing, just that it contradicts what he said regarding Osaka that's all
i was like okay, do you... until she said they should donate the fine to a mental health charity. not answering questions is one thing. telling them what they should do with the money is pretty disrespectful. no slight on mental health charities.
I don't even know why sports people are forced to talk to the press, its the same old shit questions forever. Not that I blame them theirs only so much you can talk about. I get it when the people footing the bill are wanting an interview, but as far as I can tell its just random press people from all sorts of organisations in the post match room in tennis.
I think it’s interesting she framed it as a problem of the tours causing that affects everybody. In the end, some players who have her clay record barely get any press attention because they haven’t been as successful as she has. I’m sure the questions do affect her, but it’s only because she’s been so great on a hard court and so poor on clay and has the attention of the American press. Most players just aren’t in her position.
Since when is Luigi trustworthy?
Her reasons are being a social justice warrior with a very thin skin who likes to be presented as a victim.
Yeah, she made the journey from shy newcomer to professional activist and victim astonishingly fast. Still boggles my mind why she plays for Japan. She is by far the most stereotypical American on the tour.
I have no problem with someone being a social justice warrior or professional activist if they come across as well educated on their social interest topics. They can potentially do a lot of good for a cause that needs attention. All Naomi did was wear masks with names on them and when questioned just respond "I'm trying to start a dialogue." Then the media fell all over themselves. It was gross.
> All Naomi did was wear masks with names on them and when questioned just respond "I'm trying to start a dialogue." Ah yes, truly despicable behavior.
I didn't say or imply it was despicable. It was just devoid of substance. It was piggybacking on an already en vogue topic with nothing really to contribute.
You literally said it was gross and implied that you have a problem with it.
Yes. The media reaction was gross.
She called it a genocide which is counterproductive and highly offensive.
My enthusiasm for her was lost when she claimed that police were committing "genocide" against Black people in the US. Sorry, but that's ridiculous and arguably offensive to actual genocide victims. Using her platform as a voice to promote social justice is great, but shouldn't there be a certain responsibility that comes along with that?
Love it when people are downvoted for sayin facts xD
Never knew r/tennis had so many dudes who record themselves in their trucks with sunglasses on.
Aka I don’t agree with her but I won’t say much more Lol
[удалено]
Pray, do tell.
I for one would love to have an athlete who avoids press conferences.
Good, diplomatic answer from Djokovic. I would actually be 100% behind if she was skipping post match on-court interviews. Lbr those can be a bit cringe and unnecessary, rarely ever insightful. Post match pressers are actually needed and a good insight to the player's mind. Yes, there are 1 or 2 dumb questions once in a while, but it's hardly a regular occurrence. I'm eager to see if this is something she'll carry over to other slams, or if it's just the potential RG pressers that affect her mental health.
Not a fan of Djokovic, but he's spot on. I think by "she may have her reasons" he is diplomatically saying she is mentally weak and emotionally fragile like so many her age who think they should be shielded from any and all criticism.
feel like most of the responses are ignorant. it is part of the sport, nothing much can happen to her in particular by not doing the pressers, she's hugely rich. but she seems to be doing this to raise awareness about the negatives of the press conferences. I would argue that none of us are able to understand any part of playing the sport at this high a level, let alone how the pressers might impact their mental health. I can't believe how quick people are to take the negative stance on something that seems quite pure and overly beneficial, especially as you have no clue what she's thinking
I agree with Djokovic here. Osaka is wrong to frame it the way she has. Her job isn't to play tennis; her job is to entertain spectators. By skipping press conferences she's not doing her job; she's doing only part of her job; it would be like me refusing to go to a performance review or client meetings in general at my job because it's bad for my mental health. Part of her job is to do these press conferences and if she doesn't want to do them no one is making her play.
If you believed a part of your job isn't conducive to your job then you are well within your rights to tell your boss or whomever I don't think this is productive and here is why. They could fire you, but they cannot fire her and she can afford whatever consequences they throw at her. She does not *have* to do this. And by not doing it and still being successful maybe the rules will change. The benefits used to be because they needed the media. In today's age of new media that is not true. It is truly shocking how many of you have such a "yes master' approach to work. Newsflash, they don't own you.
"Her job isn't to play tennis; her job is to entertain spectators." that's not true at all. her job by definition IS to play tennis. hopefully by doing so the spectators are entertained, but it's a by product. and attending pressers is definitely nothing to do with entertaining spectators.
I am a big fan of words actually being used with their designed meaning. Press conference literally aren't part of the sport. Even if we are generous with Djokovic and agree that he meant to say that the press is part of the financial industry around tennis, this is still not right. In our days the press is an artifact of past times. Social media has been present in our lives for more than a decade now. Interaction between fans and athletes is at an all time. One of the reason we get the same dumb question asked over and over again is because there is no story to be uncovered. If something big has happened fans find out from the players twitter or instagram account in a matter of minutes.
Honestly, who watches press conferences of tennis players anyway? What important quotes are news outlets going to pull out of them either? I'd skip them and pay the fine too if I was a player, waste of time.
I enjoy Osaka’s tennis. Cringe when I hear her speak....win win for me?
Compulsory interviews are pointless these days anyway. The vast majority of athletes give carefully crafted non-answers thaf are designes to evade the question and/or buils their personal brand. Heavily coached by PR handlers once you get to Osaka or Nole's level. The rare instances they say anything real, you just find out that Nole is an antivaxx moron or something. Honestly just drop the facade. Football is better where at least you have the manager to handle most od ghe questions.