Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has taken the sports world by storm after her stance on post-match press conferences. The Japanese national has withdrawn herself from the French Open amid her refusal to speak to reporters, citing her mental health.
Osaka was candid in her message that she posted on her social media platforms, revealing the immense struggle she deals with in facing the hoards of media scrutinizing her every move:
“Though the tennis press has always been kind to me (and I wanna apologize especially to all the cool journalists who I may have hurt), I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media,” Osaka wrote. “I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try to engage and give you the best answers I can.”
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Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who's long held a similar stance on speaking to the media, was one of the top comments on her Instagram post in support of Osaka.
“We are all with you Queen. Just Be You, that will always be enough,” the Irving commented.
The dialogue on where the line should be drawn is clearly far from over. Voices from global icons like Kyrie Irving and Naomi Osaka will continue to move discussions forward to ensure that athletes aren't dehumanized as larger-than-life figures. As we trend towards finding a proper common ground, let's all respect the decisions our athletes make, whether we agree with them fully yet or not.
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