Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open has sparked debate about mental health

Naomi Osaka is one of the most prominent young stars of tennis and the highest-paid female athlete in the world. Despite the misconception that some people, especially the wealthy and successful, are immune to mental health struggles, Osaka revealed that she had been struggling with depression. To protect her mental health, Osaka announced last week that she would not “exercise any pressure” during the French period. open. She was fined $15,000, threatened with harsher penalties, and eventually withdrew from the tournament. Fingers were pointed in almost every direction. Many elite athletes and sports journalists have pondered her decision, some more sympathetic than others, and some say Osaka should have been vocal about her depression and gone directly to French Open officials rather than announcing her decision on social media. Others said tennis officials should have kept their opinions secret, so as not to attract more media attention to the sportswoman who said she suffered from media scrutiny. Others argue that the media should be held accountable. Sports journalist Julie DeCaro told NPR that the media is somewhat culpable and could stand by to allow athletes of color to question the merits of rules that affect them more than their white counterparts. Opinion: It’s time to accept that Naomi Osaka is a human before she became an athlete, and despite all the intricacies of the story, and while the public still doesn’t know about Osaka’s health and communication with tennis officials, psychologists say Osaka should be commended for speaking out. About her mental health in a culture that continues to question the wounds she can’t see, to assert boundaries to keep her safe even at the cost of her career, and to challenge her sport, the media and the public to rethink what we ask of athletes. said Lynn Bufka, a senior director at the American Psychological Association. “Anytime someone wonders about that, whether it’s interviewing athletes if they win or lose, or always asking them questions even if they’re struggling…there is a threat here that we might have to do things differently, even if that In the end it might be a better way in the end.” Candice Williams, a sports advisor at Ohio State University, said the controversy highlights the tension between a player’s commitment to their sport and their commitment to themselves. “They are seen by athletes as artists, not as people.” “It shows we have more work to do in terms of normalizing someone to be mentally unsound, still working, and also wanting to make time for themselves. I commend them for putting it this far.” Mental health myths Bovka said the outrage over Osaka’s decision shows the public is still grappling with whether we can accept that people are competitive professionals and still have mental health concerns. in the entire world to be able to hit the ball professionally. It makes me think that you should sit down to answer the questions no matter you win or lose, that’s a small part of your job. “Osaka has been praised for handling press conferences gracefully, but that says nothing of what is going on with her internally.” At some point, we started seeing these athletes as untouchable. We think, ‘Who has any kind of mental health issues? Naomi should be fine talking to the media.’ Williams and Bovka said, ‘If Osaka disclosed a physical injury that prevents her from participating in press conferences, the reaction would have been Different, you have to understand that fatigue is real for athletes too.” “If she’s dealing with an ACL tear, or an ankle sprain, or she’s injured her wrist, elbow, or shoulder, we wouldn’t have that push-and-pull, ‘Is this real, or is this fake?'” “Different athletes, different needs,” Williams added. Some reporters noted that Osaka’s refusal to answer what she knew would be tough questions about her fight to win on clay at the French Open was a sign of weakness. Christopher Cleary, a New York Times reporter, wrote, “If Osaka is sensitive to questions about its weaknesses on the Pug, imagine how Pete Sampras felt when asked about his own failings over a decade ago when he tried and failed to win Roland Garros.” But mental health experts point out that there are many factors that influence how a person responds to stress, including age, personality and in this case the media environment, and racial and gender identity can also influence the questions asked. Gauff during a press conference at the 2021 French Open: “You’re often compared to the Williams sisters. Maybe because you’re black. But I think it’s because you’re talented and maybe American too.” Osaka is only 23 years old and said she is an introvert and struggles with anxiety when speaking in public. She is a woman of color in a predominantly white sport. She answers questions in a media environment in which a controversial, passionate commentary B. A bad reaction or response can explode on social media and take on a life of its own. “Can we do it differently?” In her social media post announcing her withdrawal, Osaka called some of the rules regarding the press demands “outdated.” She said, “I’ve watched many clips of athletes breaking down after a loss in the press room and I know you have it as well. I think the whole situation is kicking a person into frustration and I don’t understand why.” Post-match press conferences are often seen as mutually beneficial For journalists and athletes. – On the media day of the tournament, Rafael Nadal said: “I understand it, but on the other hand, for me, without the press … we probably wouldn’t be the athletes we are today.” Opinion: Naomi Osaka sparked a talk on mental health. Are we ready to get it? Those languid moments after a win or loss are precious for journalists striving to understand their subjects, and while Osaka noted that “the tennis press has always been kind to me,” still speaking to the media gave her “enormous waves of anxiety.” If an athlete says a part of the job is too much for him, mental health experts say we have an obligation to listen, make room, and imagine a different way. (With the media) It’s, “Hey, we want in real time, your reaction, right after this experience that I’ve had, ‘Not understanding it’s human, and processing information, processing feelings, are not just things that happen in a moment,'” Williams said. I think we are a culture in which we want to know things right away. Is there a way we can mitigate that in terms of being able to meet the athlete where they are when they have to do the push? I totally think so.” The experts say this moment is an opportunity to reflect on our expectations for athletes, and how we can help them achieve success not just in their sports but in their lives. “Can we do it differently? how to do that? I hope we can accept that there is something legitimate here, rather than trying to force people to prove their mental health problem without a doubt.” You might also be interested: