Opinion

Naomi Osaka can afford French Open fine more than Tokyo 2020 distraction

As the face of the Japanese Olympics the tennis star has been expected to answer questions on unwanted Summer Games

Star cites mental health concerns in decision that has divided opinion among fellow players

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Japan’s Naomi Osaka pictured at the 2021 Italian Open. Photo: Reuters

Formerly of the South China Morning Post, Jonathan White has written about sport from China for nearly 15 years, and covered the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Fifa World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Published: 8:00am, 31 May 2021Updated: 12:57pm, 1 Jun 2021

Naomi Osaka has quietly become one of the most outspoken athletes in sport but she will be silent over the next couple of weeks – or however long her stay at the French Open lasts.

The 24-year-old announced on her social media last week that she will not do any press at Roland-Garros.

“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one. We are often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”

The truth is that few doubt her, except for the question mark of success on clay and grass. A win at Roland-Garros will dispel that and this decision should give Osaka every chance to win.

Osaka walks onto the court at the 2020 US Open wearing a mask with the name of George Floyd. Photo: TNS

“Me not doing press is nothing personal to the tournament and a couple journalists have interviewed me since I was young so I have a friendly relationship with most of them,” she wrote.