NEW YORK (AFP) - Defending US Open champion Naomi Osaka has ruled out any future repeats of her abrupt withdrawal from the French Open, saying on Friday (Aug 27) she would have handled the controversy differently if given the chance. The four-time Grand Slam winner, seeking her third New York title, dropped out at Roland Garros after skipping post-match interviews with reporters, saying it caused her mental health distress. When she was fined and warned future similar violations could bring greater punishments, Osaka withdrew from the tournament and skipped Wimbledon as well, her actions raising global awareness of the mental challenges facing world-class athletes. Speaking in a room of reporters on Friday with more tuned in virtually, the 23-year-old Japanese star said she would do things differently if put in the same situation again. "I feel like there's a lot of things I did wrong in that moment," Osaka said on Friday. "But I'm also the type of person that's very in the moment, like whatever I feel I'll say it or do it. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. "I think there's a lot of things I learned to do better. Of course, I don't feel the same situation will happen again. I'd say maybe think it through a bit more in the way that I didn't know how big a deal it would become." Osaka, seeded third in the final Grand Slam event of the year that begins Monday, said she was happier to have people asking questions rather than getting them over audio and video monitors. "Definitely it feels better to see the person," Osaka said. "It's really off-putting just to be seated in front of a screen. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I feel, like, a lot of nerves. But it feels much better to be talking to a human." Osaka, who lit the cauldron in the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics, has played only once since then, losing in her second match last week at Cincinnati. "I know I haven't played that many matches. I know that I haven't even gotten to a quarterfinal," Osaka said. "Actually, I feel pretty happy with how I'm playing. I feel pretty confident with where I am right now. I'm not declaring that I'll do amazing here. I'm the one-match-at-a-time person. Hopefully it will work out in the end." More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Osaka could meet Sabalenka, Barty may face Pliskova in US Open semis Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka leaves press conference in tears Osaka says she has had to adjust to feeling people look differently at her when they watch her play, a factor that could be a factor with full capacity crowds being allowed at the US Open after spectators were banned last year due to Covid-19. "It will definitely feel a bit different. I don't really know how to describe it, but I kind of had to get over the feeling of people's gazes feeling a bit different to me," Osaka said. "At the same time, I started to tell myself that it is what it is. I did what I did, so I can't really change people's perception on me. "It might make me feel a little bit nervous. But first rounds always make me feel a little nervous. Maybe I can just attribute it to that. I guess I'll find out when I'm in that situation." Not a 'robot Superman' Osaka said she would like to be able to see the court as a sanctuary from off-court troubles, but she doesn't. "It would be nice if there was that line for me, but no. I'm the type of person that everything is sort of the same," Osaka said. "You could see it earlier on in my career. If there was something that was not right in my personal life, you could kind of see it in my playing. "It would be really cool if I could draw that line and be able to be like a robot Superman that could go on the court, focus just on tennis. "But no, I'm the type that kind of focuses on everything at one time. That's why everything is sort of muddled to me." More on this topic Related Story Olympics: Support for Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka shows progress on mental health Related Story Athletes don't wear capes, they're human and hurt
CINCINNATI (AFP) - Japan’s Naomi Osaka recovered to take a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Coco Gauff and advance into the third round of the WTA Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday (Aug 18). The four-time Grand Slam winner is playing her first event since the Tokyo Olympics, where she went out in the third round. Gauff won the pair’s most recent prior match in the third round of the 2020 Australian Open after losing to Osaka a year earlier at the US Open. Before the Games, Osaka last played at Roland Garros after announcing she would reserve the right to avoid mandatory post-match media conferences, which she said damaged her mental health. That vow lasted through a first-round stadium interview before she withdrew, going on to also skip Wimbledon. The issue flared again this week in her first news conference, with a straightforward query causing her to burst into tears before composing herself and getting through the session. On court, Angelique Kerber defeated Elina Svitolina 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 while former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu of Canada lost to Karolina Muchova 6-4, 6-2 in the second round. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka leaves press conference in tears Related Story Olympics: Athletes who have battled mental health issues
CINCINNAITI (REUTERS) - A tearful Naomi Osaka briefly left a press conference in Cincinnati on Monday (Aug 16) after her relationship with the journalists was put under the spotlight by a reporter who accused her of using the media when it suits her. Osaka has lately had a strained relationship with sections of the media, saying her mental health is adversely impacted by certain lines of questioning. Hence on Monday when a local Cincinnati reporter at the Western and Southern Open suggested that Osaka benefits from her huge media profile but does not like speaking to reporters, the world number two teared up as she tried to formulate an answer. "When you say I'm not crazy about dealing with you guys, what does that refer to?" asked Osaka, who is of Japanese-Haitian heritage. "Ever since I was younger, I have had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it's because of my background as well. "I can't really help that there are some things that I tweet or some things that I say that kind of create a lot of news articles or things like that... but I would also say I'm not really sure how to balance the two. Like I'm figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say." During the exchange, she wiped away tears and pulled her visor over her eyes to hide her face before the moderator called for a pause to proceedings. Osaka left the room briefly but returned to complete the news conference after regaining her composure. The exchange highlighted the challenges Osaka faces as one of the world's most famous athletes. In the lead up to this year's French Open in May, Osaka said she would be boycotting the obligatory post-match news conferences at the claycourt major to protect her mental health. The decision led to a backlash from Grand Slam tournament organisers, who fined her and threatened to ban her from the majors if she refused to speak to the media. The standoff not only led to Osaka revealing that she has struggled to cope with depression for a number of years but it also prompted her to pull out from Roland Garros and Wimbledon for the sake of her mental well-being. After losing early at the Tokyo Games, where she was given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony, she admitted she struggled to cope with the huge pressure and expectation placed on her. Osaka's agent Stuart Duguid condemned the reporter's line of questioning on Monday in a written statement provided to Reuters. "The bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player/media relations are so fraught right now," said Duguid. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Osaka plans to help out Haiti earthquake relief efforts Related Story Critics pounce on Naomi Osaka after loss, denting Japan's claim to diversity "Everyone on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all wrong and his sole purpose was to intimidate. Really appalling behavior," he said. "And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off court success to the media is a myth - don't be so self-indulgent." The reporter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The 23-year-old Japanese player has used her platform to call attention to mental health issues and said she has felt supported by her fellow athletes. "The biggest eye opener was going to the Olympics and having other athletes come up to me and say they were really glad that I did what I did," she said. "I'm proud of what I did and I think that it was something that needed to be done." More on this topic Related Story Olympics: Naomi Osaka crashes out of tennis tournament Related Story Tennis: Osaka withdraws from French Open in wake of media boycott row
PARIS (REUTERS) - Naomi Osaka received support from several athletes on Thursday (May 27) but was slammed by French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Gilles Moretton after saying she would not attend press conferences at this year's French Open. Having said that the nature of the questions puts an undue burden on players' mental health, four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka was supported by rival Iga Swiatek's sports psychologist. Retired Fomula One champion Nico Rosberg, former tennis player Zina Garrison and British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith also lent support to world number two Osaka. "Naomi Osaka has a point, but it is two side to this coin," Garrison tweeted. "She will be able to pay for the fine most Athletes can't. Love you are bring awareness to mental health in sports. Come together with all sides and work on a solution now." Rosberg told Reuters on Thursday: "I think it's quite a ballsy step again from her. I can understand because when I was on my way to the championship… I switched everything off. No media, no news, no emails." But Moretton had no sympathy for Osaka. "It's a deep regret, for you journalists, for her (Naomi Osaka) personally and for tennis in general," Moretton said. "I think this is a phenomenal mistake. It shows to what extent today (the need) that there is strong governance in tennis. "What is happening there is, in my opinion, not acceptable. We will stick to the laws and rules for penalties and fines." Brazilian Indy Car driver Tony Kanaan concurred with Moretton. "I find this day relaxing instead of focusing on the race," Kanaan said at the Indy 500 media day. "Some people hate the media. I think it's silly. It's not about you, the sport will survive. Somebody else will do those interviews." More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka to boycott media at French Open 'for mental health' Related Story Tennis: Second seed Osaka falls at first hurdle in Rome According to the Grand Slam rule book, players can be fined up to US$20,000 (S$26,000) for skipping a media conference but Osaka said she was ready to accept any sanction. Osaka hoped the "considerable amount" that she expected to forfeit would go towards a mental health charity. "I'm writing this to say I'm not going to do any press during Roland Garros," Japan's Osaka, who lives in the United States, wrote on Twitter. "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," she added. "We're often sat there and asked questions that we've been asked multiple times before, and I'm just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me." Sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz, who works with French Open winner Swiatek, said she appreciated Osaka's concern about facing questions after a defeat. "I absolutely understand the decision in terms of when a player loses a match, and tennis is such a specific sport because at the end of the tournament only one person does not lose," she told Reuters on Thursday. "It's tough emotionally to cope with it; it is one of the challenges that tennis brings. It's sometimes overwhelming." Mental health Mental health problems have been a point of discussion since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when the tours started operating in front of empty stands after a five-month shutdown. Earlier this year, Frenchman Benoit Paire, a former top-20 player, said he was "mentally exhausted" by life on the tour amid the Covid-19 restrictions and found no joy in playing without fans. Osaka, 23, made headlines this week when sports business website Sportico reported she had earned US$55.2 million over the past 12 months, a record haul for a female athlete. She has in the past used her platform and considerable press attention to highlight issues of police violence and racial inequality. The French Open, which starts on Sunday, has never been a happy hunting ground for Osaka, who skipped the event last year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. She has not got past the third round in four appearances. The International Tennis Federation and the WTA Tour did not immediately respond to requests for comment. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka says risk of staging Tokyo Olympics must be carefully weighed Related Story Tennis: Nadal, Osaka win top Laureus sports awards The French tennis federation FFT, which organises the major, told Reuters it would make "no comment for now". "As a sponsor, we respect the feelings and will of the athletes," Japanese instant noodle-maker Nissin, one of Osaka's top sponsors, said in a statement sent to Reuters. "However, we are not in a position to comment on their individual opinions and actions, so we will refrain from doing so." A spokeswoman for Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor said it had no comment while an All Nippon Airways spokesman declined to comment. Osaka's other sponsors did not respond to requests for comment.
MIAMI (AFP) - Naomi Osaka reached the fourth round of the Miami Open without lifting a racquet Sunday (March 28), advancing by walkover when scheduled opponent Nina Stojanovic withdrew with a right thigh injury. Second-ranked Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, is in the last 16 of the prestigious ATP Masters and WTA event at the Hard Rock Stadium for the first time in five appearances. The Japanese star next faces 16th-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens, who defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 0-6, 6-2. Osaka had looked a little rusty in her second-round opener, her first match since she lifted her fourth Grand Slam title at Melbourne in February. An efficient serve and her ability to control the jitters saw her beat Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. With a victory in Miami, Osaka could overtake Ashleigh Barty - who won the most recent edition of the tournament in 2019 - atop the world rankings, provided the Australian doesn't reach the final. In other early women's action, 29th-seeded American Jessica Pegula ousted sixth-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova, Miami runner-up in 2019, by 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. American John Isner, the men's champion in 2018 and runner-up in 2019, booked a fourth-round spot with a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) victory over 11th-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. The match was a near-carbon copy of Isner's two-tiebreak win over Auger-Aliassime in the 2019 semi-finals. Neither player faced a break point, Isner commanding the slight edge needed in the tiebreakers with the aid of 16 total aces to the Canadian's 11. The 35-year-old US veteran next faces another familiar foe in Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut. The seventh seed beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to book a chance to avenge his 2019 quarter-final Miami loss to Isner. Sunday's men's action was highlighted by top-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, who battled for a place in the last 16 against 86th-ranked Australian Alexei Popyrin. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Naomi Osaka shakes off rust to win Miami opener Related Story Tennis: Osaka's elevation from shy youngster to face of women's tennis Medvedev owns a 2-0 career record against the 21-year-old Aussie, who captured his first ATP title in Singapore last month. "He's a great player," Medvedev said of his sometime practice partner Popyrin. "Great strokes, great serve. Solid baseline player, but he can go to the net, hit winners from all corners of the court. "It's going to be a tough match," added Medvedev, who followed a runner-up finish to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in February with his 10th ATP title at Marseille to rise to No. 2 in the world behind the Serbian star.