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Naomi Osaka & mental health

CallumcafcCallumcafc
edited May 2021 in Other Football and Sports
Has withdrawn from the French Open to “take time away from the court” and focus on her mental health.


She announced a few days ago that she would not participate in media interviews due to the extreme anxiety she feels when public speaking. She was then fined $15,000 and threatened to with suspension from the tournament - not only that, vultures like Piers Morgan are circling with their latest columns in the Daily Mail.

She’s taken it into her own hands and will be withdrawing on her own terms.
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Comments

  • BedsaddickBedsaddick
    Totally get the public speaking thing. It's my biggest fear.

    Good luck to her.
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    stoneroses19 said:
    Fined for not speaking to the press to protect her own mental health? How sad that she’s felt the need to withdraw from a major tournament. 

    Can’t see why suspension has to be threatened for something like that, surely her playing is the all important part, rather than chatting to a few people with microphones. Surely journalists can write about the game without needing a quote or two from one of the players. 
    Speaking to the press is part of the job. I don't imagine they would have fined her if she had produced a medical exemption.


  • CallumcafcCallumcafc
    edited May 2021
    WelshAddick said:
    She had to speak to the press and do interviews. All the players have too. She was very naive to think otherwise. The sponsors pay an absolute fortune and the prize money on offer is incredible. Without sponsors and tv money the players would earn a fraction of what they get now. 
    At the end of the day it’s the organisers/sponsors who are going to lose out if they don’t accommodate the best players. But it’s ok, now we can watch less talented players do pointless post match interviews.
  • stop_shoutingstop_shouting
    I mean what goes on at these pressers that’s so bad, it affects someone’s mental health? Just had a look at her Instagram and she doesn’t seem that introverted. I’ll be interested to see what her fellow pros say and how this plays out. I doubt any sponsor or organisation wants to be associated in a negative way to do with mental health. 
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    Callumcafc said:
    WelshAddick said:
    She had to speak to the press and do interviews. All the players have too. She was very naive to think otherwise. The sponsors pay an absolute fortune and the prize money on offer is incredible. Without sponsors and tv money the players would earn a fraction of what they get now. 
    At the end of the day it’s the organisers/sponsors who are going to lose out if they don’t accommodate the best players. But it’s ok, now we can watch less talented players do pointless post match interviews.
    Tennis players have a relationship with the press and it helps publicise the sport. If interviews affect her that badly then I doubt anyone will want her to do them.
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  • killerandflashkillerandflash
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Don't do social media then

    Players do it because they want to promote their "brand". I notice that Osaka has signed up to be a Brand Ambassador for Louis Vuitton. AND has her own swimwear collection and a skincare line. Which doesn't suggest to me someone who just wants to play tennis and stay out of the media limelight. She's become fabulously wealthy already, much of it down to the commercial deals she's signed. She earned $37m dollars last year.

    https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/naomi-osaka-louis-vuitton
    https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3132250/her-fashion-and-beauty-lines-naomi-osaka-builds-personal

    Players do have a choice. It's like the difference between Beckham and Scholes. One lived his life in the public eye, the other was completely ignored by the media as he wasn't interested in creating a "personal brand"
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Depends how you play the social media game.
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    I have to say I have felt suspicious of a number of celebs who have played the mental health angle and it doesn't always ring true to me. 
  • usetobunkinusetobunkin
    I speak to who i want too, when i want too, IF i don't won't  to speak to you, i am afraid YOU will have to put up with it!  

  • Leroy AmbroseLeroy Ambrose
    killerandflash said:
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Don't do social media then

    Players do it because they want to promote their "brand". I notice that Osaka has signed up to be a Brand Ambassador for Louis Vuitton. AND has her own swimwear collection and a skincare line. Which doesn't suggest to me someone who just wants to play tennis and stay out of the media limelight. She's become fabulously wealthy already, much of it down to the commercial deals she's signed. She earned $37m dollars last year.

    https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/naomi-osaka-louis-vuitton
    https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3132250/her-fashion-and-beauty-lines-naomi-osaka-builds-personal

    Players do have a choice. It's like the difference between Beckham and Scholes. One lived his life in the public eye, the other was completely ignored by the media as he w̶a̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶e̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶"̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ ̶b̶r̶a̶n̶d̶"̶ looked like a pitbull licking piss off a nettle
    FTFY
  • cfgscfgs
    killerandflash said:
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Don't do social media then

    Players do it because they want to promote their "brand". I notice that Osaka has signed up to be a Brand Ambassador for Louis Vuitton. AND has her own swimwear collection and a skincare line. Which doesn't suggest to me someone who just wants to play tennis and stay out of the media limelight. She's become fabulously wealthy already, much of it down to the commercial deals she's signed. She earned $37m dollars last year.

    https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/naomi-osaka-louis-vuitton
    https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3132250/her-fashion-and-beauty-lines-naomi-osaka-builds-personal

    Players do have a choice. It's like the difference between Beckham and Scholes. One lived his life in the public eye, the other was completely ignored by the media as he wasn't interested in creating a "personal brand"
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Depends how you play the social media game.
    The social media thing was just about the world in general it is a great thing and I love it but it can be a dark and oppressive place. The stuff that is sent to people like Marcus Rashford is horrific considering what he has achieved on and off the pitch.

    Nobody can judge anyone's life as we aren't in their heads. 
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    cfgs said:
    killerandflash said:
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Don't do social media then

    Players do it because they want to promote their "brand". I notice that Osaka has signed up to be a Brand Ambassador for Louis Vuitton. AND has her own swimwear collection and a skincare line. Which doesn't suggest to me someone who just wants to play tennis and stay out of the media limelight. She's become fabulously wealthy already, much of it down to the commercial deals she's signed. She earned $37m dollars last year.

    https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/naomi-osaka-louis-vuitton
    https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3132250/her-fashion-and-beauty-lines-naomi-osaka-builds-personal

    Players do have a choice. It's like the difference between Beckham and Scholes. One lived his life in the public eye, the other was completely ignored by the media as he wasn't interested in creating a "personal brand"
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    cfgs said:
    Mental health is so hard to maintain these days with all the social media and intrusion. Good luck to her.
    Depends how you play the social media game.
    The social media thing was just about the world in general it is a great thing and I love it but it can be a dark and oppressive place. The stuff that is sent to people like Marcus Rashford is horrific considering what he has achieved on and off the pitch.

    Nobody can judge anyone's life as we aren't in their heads. 
    Everyone has an opinion and celebs love to play the PR game. Some things you hear don't ring true to you as an individual. 


  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    Bedsaddick said:
    Reading some of the comments on here it just goes to show that some people don’t have a clue how anxiety can overwhelm a person . I’ve been there. 

    I hope she has the support she needs . 

    I think the general issue is that people are suspicious of celebrities sometimes which is separate to the mental health issue. 

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  • randy andyrandy andy
    The issue isn't necessarily being anxious about talking to the press. The point she's raised is that they have to do a press conference within 30 minutes of the match ending. Some players, her obviously included, are emotionally exhausted after a match, and a press conference where they feel under attack is genuinely bad for their mental health. Apparently the tour organisers were unwilling to extend the length of time between a match ending and the press conferences happening.
  • ForeverAddicktedForeverAddickted
    randy andy said:
    The issue isn't necessarily being anxious about talking to the press. The point she's raised is that they have to do a press conference within 30 minutes of the match ending. Some players, her obviously included, are emotionally exhausted after a match, and a press conference where they feel under attack is genuinely bad for their mental health. Apparently the tour organisers were unwilling to extend the length of time between a match ending and the press conferences happening.
    When you compare the Sports and how the individuals conduct themselves its quite impressive from Tennis Players, its rare that you'll hear outbursts when they lose and dont have the beauty of putting things right within a matter of days.

    Football on the other hand is no different in the sense that the Manager / Players get thrown into a press conference straight after a game and really will struggle to contain their emotions even though they've got the luxury almost of being able to win in just a few days.
  • TellyTubbyTellyTubby
    Bedsaddick said:
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    Bedsaddick said:
    Reading some of the comments on here it just goes to show that some people don’t have a clue how anxiety can overwhelm a person . I’ve been there. 

    I hope she has the support she needs . 

    I think the general issue is that people are suspicious of celebrities sometimes which is separate to the mental health issue. 

    Maybe but this girl is obviously suffering from anxiety. I don’t see any evidence to the contrary. 
    Why else would she pull out of a major tournament. She’s not attention seeking as done people might think -quite the opposite in fact .  It’s the attention that seems to be her problem. 

    I don't buy this at all.

    She may well have mental health issues, but if she is trying to avoid attention, why make unsolicited political statements, drawing attention to herself when her job is to play a sport?
  • hoof_it_up_to_bentyhoof_it_up_to_benty
    Bedsaddick said:
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    Bedsaddick said:
    Reading some of the comments on here it just goes to show that some people don’t have a clue how anxiety can overwhelm a person . I’ve been there. 

    I hope she has the support she needs . 

    I think the general issue is that people are suspicious of celebrities sometimes which is separate to the mental health issue. 

    Maybe but this girl is obviously suffering from anxiety. I don’t see any evidence to the contrary. 
    Why else would she pull out of a major tournament. She’s not attention seeking as some people might think -quite the opposite in fact .  It’s the attention that seems to be her problem. 

    I have no idea what motivated her - it might be anxiety or a desire to control her press. The tennis authorities have to treat all players the same and I have no idea how good the communication has been on both sides.

    Who knows the full story? 



  • Exiled_AddickExiled_Addick
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    I have to say I have felt suspicious of a number of celebs who have played the mental health angle and it doesn't always ring true to me. 

    Sports people don't set out to be celebrities, they set out to be top sports people. Fame gets thrust upon them if they are successful at their sport. Some love the fame that comes as a by product, some loath it, but if you pulled aside 12 year old Andy Murray and asked him what his ambition was, it'd be to win Wimbledon because, to a British person, it's the most prestigious tennis tournament. I very much doubt he would have said he wanted to win it so he could get on the telly and in the papers and leverage his fame to make a load of money.

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