Lessons from Naomi Osaka Episode

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• The world number 2 tennis player (Naomi Osaka) has withdrawn from the recent French Open tournament.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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