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Synopsis:
The withdrawal of Naomi Osaka from the French Open has raised the issue of the mental well-being of the athletes. The situation exposes the deep pressure through which an athlete has to go for fulfilling its commercial obligations.
Background:
- The world number 2 tennis player (Naomi Osaka) has withdrawn from the recent French Open tournament.
- The withdrawal was on account of extreme mental stress and anxiety through which the athlete was going since the 2018 US Open tournament.
Understanding the issue:
- Naomi wrote about the compulsion to attend post-match press conferences four days before the onset of the French open tournament.
- Later, she skipped her first post-match conference and was fined $15000.
- Subsequently, a joint statement of 4 great slams threatened her with defaults and suspensions in future tournaments.
- However, this statement backfired, and she withdrew from the tournament on account of severe mental stress posed by press conferences.
Lessons from this episode:
- First, the issue of mental stress and anxiety is present in almost every sporting event.
- Second, the organizers’ insistence on media interaction may leave a deep impact on the mental well-being of an athlete.
- The media doesn’t shy away from asking personal questions for raising the TRPs in their interview. This generates higher revenues but impairs the mental health of athletes.
- Third, there are many athletes who are not as wealthy as Naomi. They are unable to quit the tournament and continue to face repeated mental stress.
- Fourth, the instance shows the existence of a disconnect between how critics and spectators interpret the sport’s nature and what it actually is. The instance has once again proved that all that glitters is not gold.
Way Forward:
- The rules pertaining to press conferences should change in an ever-evolving sport.
- The focus should be on making the process more player-friendly and nurturing a connection with journalists based on trust and empathy.
- Further, the issue presents an opportunity to augment conversation surrounding players’ mental health.
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