The pledge came in a statement signed by the exact same four tennis administrators that jeopardized the prospect of disqualification or suspension for Osaka on Sunday when she continued to bypass news conferences.
The four-time significant winner and No. 2-ranked participant was fined $15,000 when she did not talk to reporters following her first-round victory in Roland Garros on Sunday. The following day, Osaka pulled from the championship entirely, stating she encounters”enormous waves of stress” before meeting with the press and showing she’s”suffered long bouts of melancholy.”
Osaka, a 23-year-old who had been born in Japan and moved with her family into the U.S. at age 3, said she’d”take a while away in the courtroom today, but if the time is right I really need to work together with the Tour to talk about ways we could make things easier for the players, fans and press.”
Tennis players are needed to attend news conferences if asked to do this; Grand Slam rules permit penalties up to $20,000 when they do not appear.
“On behalf of the Grand Slams, we want to provide Naomi Osaka our aid and help at all possible as she takes away time from the courtroom. It’s both complex and personal, as what influences one person doesn’t necessarily impact another. We commend Naomi for discussing in her very own words the anxieties and pressures she’s believing and we grapple with the exceptional pressures tennis players can confront.”
In another announcement issued Tuesday to the AP through email, International Tennis Federation official Heather Bowler the game will”review what should evolve” following Osaka”shone a light on mental health problems.”
“It is in our interests to make sure we continue to present a respectful and qualitative environment that permits all stakeholders to perform their job for their very best skill, without affecting their health, and also for the benefit of the game,” Bowler composed.
Different tennis players, such as Serena Williams, provided support for Osaka and commended her to be forthcoming in her announcement on social media Monday.
“It is hard. Nobody actually knows what anybody is going through, however far they decide to reveal on the exterior. I didn’t have a clue about her. However, I respect her willingness,” 20-year-old American ace Ann Li said after winning her first-round match Tuesday in Roland Garros. “Our generation is getting more open and receptive, which is a fantastic thing as well as a terrible thing sometimes. I hope she is doing OK.”
Gael Monfils, a 34-year-old from France who won Tuesday from Paris, said he can relate to Osaka’s worries to a extent.
“It is a really hard situation for her. I really feel for her, since I’ve been struggling a lot too,” Monfils said. “What she is coping is tough for me to judge, since I think she’s enormous pressure from a lot of things. I believe she is quite young. She is handling it quite nicely.
And Monfils provided a sentiment certainly shared by many about tennis, from tour and tournament officials to athletes into the game’s enthusiasts.
“We want Naomi. “We want her back to the court(in ) the press conference — and again pleased.”
