In the second part of their French Open preview, Ubaldo Scanagatta and Steve Flink analyse the women’s draw, with the two defending champions, Barty and Swiatek, who could face off in the semis. Naomi Osaka is in the bottom half, but her chances in Paris are being talked about far less than her decision not to hold any press conferences throughout the fortnight. Here’s their chat:
00:00 – “The draw is a little uneven, far more contenders ended up in the top half, such as Barty, Swiatek, Muguruza…” Will Serena Williams and Osaka be competitive?
08:02 – The Japanese star has decided to eschew press conferences throughout the tournament – a wise move? “What will happen if other players will do the same? I honestly think that to bring mental health into the issue was a little extreme…”
11:34 – Osaka will probably receive a fine – is that enough?
15:35 – She is an icon for fans and players alike, so her decision is going to have a strong impact: “What I don’t understand is that she really is a player who has always been represented in a positive way by the media!” Will she do on-court interviews?
Transcript by Tommaso Villa
