In a world of trash-talking athletes, Naomi Osaka stands out as a superstar who clearly prefers to let her playing do all the talking.
This is why it was hardly surprising when so many athletes spoke out against racial injustice after the infamous killing of George Floyd last year. But it speaks volumes that Osaka probably had the greatest impact by simply wearing a BLM mask emblazoned with the name of a Black person killed by a white cop during each round at the US Open in September.
And, because she played all seven rounds en route to winning the championship, the seven “say their names” were Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Philando Castle and Tamir Rice.
The open and notorious but silent way Osaka chose to protest on that occasion was universally applauded. Therefore, I suppose one can hardly blame her for thinking a similar version of that protest would work at this year’s French Open.
She was painfully mistaken. Here in part is how CNN reported yesterday on events that led to her withdrawing:
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Naomi Osaka said Monday she is withdrawing from the French Open after refusing to speak to the media at the grand slam.
The four-time major winner posted a statement on Twitter saying she was pulling out so that ‘everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,’ adding that she would ‘take some time away from the court.’ Osaka revealed she had ‘suffered long bouts of depression’ since winning her first Grand Slam title in 2018.
Last Wednesday, citing mental health reasons, Osaka posted on social media she would not participate in any news conferences during the French Open, hoping that any fines she incurred would go toward a mental health charity. Following her straight-set victory on Sunday, Osaka was fined $15,000 for not talking to the media, Roland Garros announced in a statement.
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Clearly, if Osaka had persisted, she would have left tournament organizers no choice but to expel her well before the semifinals. And this, no matter her personal reasons for not talking and no matter her ability to just pay the fines.
Before proceeding, however, I feel obliged to make clear that nobody is a bigger Osaka fan than I am. And I can cite many commentaries that attest to this, including most recently “Women’s Australian Open: Hail, Naomi Osaka!” February 22, 2021.
That said, I respect her decision to withdraw to protect her health. Nobody in their right mind holds this against her. And surely everybody wishes her well. We all know enough about mental illness these days to know that whenever anyone cries out for help like this, we should give it immediately and in abundance. Period.
Of course, the irony of ironies is that she cites that 2018 Grand Slam match against Serena Williams as the beginning of her mental issues. Because, to the untrained eye, it seemed it was her unmatched mental toughness that enabled her to prevail over the heavily favored Serena and despite an overtly hostile, even rude crowd.
But anyone who knows anything about Grand Slam tournaments knows that players are required to do press conferences. Therefore, it’s a shame she did not have someone on her team who could have spared her this all-too-foreseeable public spectacle (i.e., by prevailing upon her to stay home). Because trying to bend the rules to her will, to no avail, can only have aggravated her mental anguish.
Not to mention that, as sympathetic as everyone might be, she has left after alienating fellow players and tournament organizers with her ill-advised and plainly unsustainable media boycott. But I hope Osaka fully appreciates that nobody will care what she has to say if the media are not reporting on it in the context of her winning tennis tournaments. And her sponsors will react accordingly…
Of course, everyone was waiting with bated breath for Serena to chime in. Here, as reported by ABC News, is how she finally did last night:
Many [post-match press conferences] I’ve been into where I’ve been – very difficult to walk in those moments. But you know, it made me stronger.
Ouch! So much for the sisterhood then. To be fair, though, psychologists will affirm that adversity makes you stronger. But hey….
Meanwhile, I fear Osaka might also be unwittingly vindicating the racist slur Fox News host Laura Ingraham hurled at LeBron James and other black athletes, when she told them, in effect, to just shut up and play ball.
For what it’s worth, I find it enlightening and entertaining to hear professional athletes answer post-game questions about their play and the outcome. I know Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets appreciates having this opportunity to disabuse fans of the apparent presumption that NBA players are just performing monkeys.
Alas, the confluence of Osaka’s withdrawal, Harry and Meghan’s celebrity focus on mental health, and the metastasizing zeitgeist of being woke or being canceled might prove a centripetal force too great to resist.
Therefore, I would not be surprised if post-game press conferences in all professional sports are suddenly in flux. This, as organizers decide whether to keep them, make them optional, or scrap them entirely. For the reasons stated above, making them optional or scrapping them would be a shame.
In any event, I wish Osaka a full and speedy recovery.
Related commentaries:
Naomi Osaka… Harry & Meghan…
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