I communicated that I wanted to skip press conferences at Roland Garros to exercise self-care and preservation of my mental health. I stand by that. Athletes are humans.
Recorded First-person cover essay, Time, 8 July 2021 source
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Naomi Osaka
Japanese professional tennis player
Japan · b. 1997
Won four Grand Slam singles titles between 2018 and 2021 and reached world number one in January 2019. In May 2021 she withdrew from the French Open after declining to attend press conferences, citing her mental health, and wrote about the decision for Time in July 2021.
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Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions. In any other line of work, you would be forgiven for taking a personal day here and there, so long as it's not habitual.
Recorded First-person cover essay, Time, 8 July 2021 source
I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it's still so new to me and I don't have all the answers. I do hope that people can relate and understand it's O.K. to not be O.K., and it's O.K. to talk about it. There are people who can help, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.
Recorded First-person cover essay, Time, 8 July 2021 source
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