Taylor's Talking Point: Osaka right to prioritize mental health

Tennis as a sport and tournaments like the French Open need women like Naomi Osaka much more than she needs them.

Osaka, 23, is one of the sport's rising young stars. She's currently the No. 2-ranked woman in the game. She's one of the more marketable athletes in any sport.

Chances are that even if you're not a fan of tennis, you at least knew her name before this week.

She has global appeal, and tennis as a sport is better for it.

By now, most everyone is probably familiar with the circumstances that led to Osaka withdrawing from the French Open this week. Osaka said in a statement that she would not be participating in the media obligations during the tournament, saying she often feels people "have no regard for athletes' mental health." She added that knew she would be fined "a considerable amount," and that she hoped the fine would be donated toward a mental health charity.

On cue, the tournament responded by fining Osaka $15,000 for skipping the first press availability, and threatened tournament defaults, "more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions."

Six days of backlash and scrutiny, much of which was media-driven, ensued.

Osaka then withdrew from the tournament in a statement, citing the desire not to be a "distraction." The statement once again mentioned mental health, now specifically mentioning her own history of social anxiety "long bouts of depression" going back to 2018.

French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton held a press conference on Monday regarding Osaka's withdrawal. He read a statement in which he wished Osaka "the quickest possible recovery" then left the room without taking a single question.

Curious.

In my mind, the backlash from the public and the media over the last few days only proves that Osaka was right to remove herself from the tournament. Nobody else involved with the tournament was going to look out for her well-being, so she had to do so herself. The tournament is worse off for it, the stories the media will tell from the tournament will be worse for it.

After seeing some of the reactions going around on social media from the public and written pieces from the media, I thought I'd address some of the points I've been seeing and share my own thoughts.

• Well, why didn't she say it was mental health in the beginning?

Well, she did. She didn't specifically mention depression and social anxiety in the first statement, she didn't do so until backlash forced her to make her second statement where she mentioned her own battles. But that's not new.

Osaka has been open in the past about her mental health in the past, like in this interview from 2018:

Osaka has opened up in the past about her social anxiety with speaking in front of a crowd. In a 2020 interview with Vogue, she said "when I had to speak in front of 100 people, I feel like I would start shaking.”

You don't know what's going on inside her head. Neither do I. I think to do anything other than to take her word (years worth of words, really) that she deals with depression and anxiety is insensitive and potentially damaging. She might not see your takes trivializing mental illness and questioning the seriousness or validity of it, but other people, some of whom might be dealing with their own internal battles, will see them.

• She owes it to (TV deals, sponsors, fans, fill in the blank) to speak with the media.

Does she? Her job is to play tennis. I know that she's contractually obligated to speak with the media as part of these tournaments, she made it clear she knew that too in her initial statement, but is staying status quo so important that she had to be threatened with defaults and suspensions? Is that what's best for the sport?

If you're turning on TV to watch a tennis match, are you turning it on to watch one of the best women in the sport play the game or are you turning it on to listen to a woman who is uncomfortable with the situation struggle through a press conference afterward?

Several of her major sponsors are in agreement and issued statements in support of her decision.

Nike: “Our thoughts are with Naomi. We support her and recognize her courage in sharing her own mental health experience."

Mastercard: “Naomi Osaka’s decision reminds us all how important it is to prioritize personal health and well-being. We support her and admire her courage to address important issues, both on and off the court."

Watchmaker TAG Heuer: “Naomi is going through difficult times and we truly hope to see her back soon. She is a great champion and we are convinced that she will come out of this period stronger, be it professionally or personally."

Nissin Foods: "We pray for Ms Naomi Osaka’s earliest recovery, and wish her continue success."

Sweetgreen: “Our partnership with Naomi is rooted in wellness in all its forms. We support her in furthering the conversation around mental health and are proud to have her as part of the sweetgreen team.”

• She's doing a disservice to the women in tennis who came before her.

Luckily, you don't need my thoughts on this one. Actual women who came before her are perfectly capable of using their own voices. We don't need to speak for them. 

Some examples:

Venus Williams, in an Instagram comment: "So proud of you. Take care of yourself and see you back winning soon!"

Serena Williams in a press conference: "Everyone is different and everyone handles things differently. You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to and the best way she thinks she can. That's the only thing I can say: I think she is doing the best she can."

• But she makes a lot of money! She just plays a game!

Mental illness doesn't discriminate based on wealth.

Athletes aren't immune to struggles with mental health. 

YOUR TURN: Be better.