Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was in tears during her press conference at the Western and Southern Open on Monday after being questioned about her relationship with the media.
The world No.2 was conducting her first press conference since the French Open after taking a break from the sport due to her mental health. Osaka returned to play at the Tokyo Olympics but athletes at the Games are not expected to fulfil such media commitments. It was in Paris where the Japanese tennis player revealed that she has been suffering from depression and social anxiety in recent months.
Speaking to reporters via zoom in Cincinnati, Osaka spoke freely and honestly about a variety of issues such as the warm reception she received at the Olympics from fellow athletes after she spoke openly about her mental health. However, she started to struggle when a question was asked by one reporter from a local media outlet. They asked Osaka how she copes with finding a balance between using social media to aid her various interests whilst trying to maintain her mental health.
“You’re not crazy about dealing with us (the media), especially in this format (press conferences). Yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform. I guess my question is: How do you balance the two?” The reporter asked.
The decision to ask such a question has stirred a debate about if it was the right move considering what has happened to Osaka in recent times. Nevertheless, she engaged with the journalist and responded.
“That’s interesting. I would say the occasion like when to do the press conference is what I feel is the most difficult, but… Hmm. Sorry. I’m thinking. Um..” She replied.
At this stage, the moderator stepped in to intervene by asking the tennis star if she would like to move on to the next question. However, Osaka declined because she was ‘interested in the point of view.’
“Ever since I was younger, I have had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it’s because of my background as well as how I play,” she explains.
“Because in the first place, I’m a tennis player. That’s why a lot of people are interested in me. So I would say in that regard I’m quite different to a lot of people, and I can’t really help that there are some things that I tweet or some things that I say that kind of create a lot of news articles or things like that, and I know it’s because I have won a couple of Grand Slams and I have gotten to do a lot of press conferences that these things happen.’
“But I would also say I’m not really sure how to balance the two. Like I’m figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say.”
It was clear to see on Osaka’s face how difficult it was to address such a question as she began to cry during the press conference. Resulting in a halt to proceedings before she returned to answer more questions.
Following the incident, Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid slammed the journalist for what he described as ‘bullying.’
“The bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player/media relations are so fraught right now. Everyone on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all wrong and his sole purpose was to intimidate. Really appalling behaviour,” he said in a statement issued to New York Times journalist Ben Rothenberg.
“And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off court success to the media is a myth – don’t be so self-indulgent.”
Osaka is the second seed at this week’s Western and Southern Open. She has pledged to donate all the prize money she earns to victims of the Haitian earthquake which has killed more than 1000 people.
Full transcript of Osaka’s Q&A with the journalist
JOURNALIST: You’re not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format. Yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform. I guess my question is: How do you balance the two? And also, do you have anything you’d like to share with us about what you did say to Simone Biles?
NAOMI OSAKA: When you say I’m not crazy about dealing with you guys, what does that refer to?
JOURNALIST: Well, you have said you don’t especially like the press conference format. Yet that seems to be obviously the most widely used means of communicating to the media and through the media to the public.
NAOMI OSAKA: Hmm. That’s interesting. I would say the occasion like when to do the press conference is what I feel is the most difficult, but… Hmm.
Sorry. I’m thinking. Um…
THE MODERATOR: I think we can move on to the next question, Naomi? Do you want to move on to the next question?
NAOMI OSAKA: No, actually I’m very interested in, like, that point of view. So if you could repeat that, that would be awesome.
JOURNALIST: The question was that you’re not especially fond of dealing with the media, especially in this format. You have suggested there are better ways to do it, that we’d like to try to explore that. My question, I guess, was you also have outside interests beyond tennis that
are served by having the platform that the media presents to you. My question is: How do you think you might be able to best balance the two?
NAOMI OSAKA: Um, I mean, for me, I feel like this is something that I can’t — I can’t really speak for everybody. I can only speak for myself. But ever since I was younger, I have had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it’s because of my background as well as, you know, how I
play. Because in the first place, I’m a tennis player. That’s why a lot of people are interested in me. So I would say in that regard I’m quite different to a lot of people, and I can’t really help that there are some things that I tweet or some things that I say that kind of create a
lot of news articles or things like that, and I know it’s because I have won a couple of Grand Slams and I have gotten to do a lot of press conferences that these things happen. But I would also say, like, I’m not really sure how to balance the two. Like I’m figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say.
Following Osaka’s reply, another reporter began to ask their question but during the process, she began to cry. The press conference was then halted.
