Osaka's Sister Explains Why Naomi is skipping RG Press Conference

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru
Source:
"
So it’s a little hard for me to see all these different opinions from everyone and not being able to share Naomi’s side even just a little bit. She sucks at explaining her actions most of the time and she’s playing a grand slam so there’s even less of a chance that she will take her time to dwell and explain something that she doesn’t want to even think about. Right now she wants to focus solely on her matches and the tournament.

Naomi mentioned to me before the tournament that a family member had come up to her and remarked that she’s bad at clay. At every press conference she’s told she’s has a bad record on clay. When she lost in Rome r1 she was not ok mentally. Her confidence was completely shattered and I think that everyone’s remarks and opinions have gotten to her head and she herself believed that she was bad on clay. This isn’t true and she knows that in order to do well and have a shot at winning Roland Garros she will have to believe that she can. That’s the first step any athlete needs to do, believe in themselves.

So her solution was to block everything out. No talking to people who is going to put doubt in her mind. She’s protecting her mind hence why it’s called mental health. So many people are picky on this term thinking you need to have depression or have some sort of disorder to be able to use the term mental health.

I don’t know what she is going to do in the future when the tournament pushes back and threatens to default her but I fully support my sister’s actions because she’s just trying to do what’s best for her. Tennis players don’t get paid to do press conferences. They only get paid when they win matches.

There is the argument that she can afford to skip while others can’t. What if they want to and she’s setting precedent so that they can in the future if wanted? When I lost my one wta match where I had to do a press conference afterwards I broke down in the room unfortunately and then saw headlines after of me, crying. It was embarrassing and it’s forced on players. Some can take it and some struggle with it.

Thanks if you took the time to read my thoughts, I hope it gives more clarity to those of you that feel the need to judge others harshly when they don’t follow the rule book."
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Yes, I think she has a valid point. But she has to negotiate a compromise, in any event. Tennis organisations have a lot of power, and are prepared to make sure all the nails are hammered down.
 

GhostOfNKDM

Hall of Fame
This is getting more attention than it deserves.

At this point I say leave her alone, respect her wishes, don't force her to appear in press conferences.

Hopefully the press also respects tennis fans' wishes and never interviews her again win or lose.

The only people who should hear from her are those who willingly follow her on social media.
 

catskillthunder

Professional
This has gotten out of control. I personally feel her sister has now done more damage then good. What I hope happens now, is that not a single media person/outlet ever gives her then time of day to use her profession as a platform. Let her get her wishes and never give her an opportunity to be in front of the cameras again. Suck it up and deal with it.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Her sister is irrelevant. The media needs to clean up its act and not treat material from pressers as click bait to drive subscriptions. Look at how Harry and Meghan are being slaughtered in the popular press!
 

AnOctorokForDinner

Talk Tennis Guru
Understandable but I wonder how much it should be respected and I think not that much because her reasons are essentially selfish: trying to get herself in a better mood to perform better on court. Tennis players work to win for themselves. So it looks like Osaka wants to ditch a common responsibility in order to gain a competitive advantage. That does widen the disparity between higher-ranked/rich and lower-ranked/not so rich players, unless everyone is allowed to skip or cut press conferences as they wish, meaning the commitment is no longer enforceable, which can't happen obviously. Can't say I'm particularly sympathetic, then. Top players have normally been able to withstand annoying press conferences without having to regularly skip them.
 
its still cheating at the end of the day and must not be allowed. either allow all competitors the option to decline media responsibilities or default her.
 

Amritia

Hall of Fame
Mari Osaka:
So her solution was to block everything out. No talking to people who is going to put doubt in her mind. She’s protecting her mind hence why it’s called mental health. So many people are picky on this term thinking you need to have depression or have some sort of disorder to be able to use the term mental health.
This is really disgraceful. Mental health concerns are incredibly serious. Journalists asking questions which leads to her doubting her pedigree on clay is NOT a mental health concern.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
It is a mental health concern if it causes a deterioration in her performance or general well-being, albeit one of minor concern.

This is really disgraceful. Mental health concerns are incredibly serious. Journalists asking questions which leads to her doubting her pedigree on clay is NOT a mental health concern.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Some questionings can take on the appearance of bullying. They lost and their nerves are raw. And you have people telling you they think they know why you lost in the form of a question, of course.

Mental health issues? I really thought it was going to be a diagnosed disease/disorder she was going through and had sympathies! The term 'mental disorders' is being abused a bit too much.
 

Azure

G.O.A.T.
Some questionings can take on the appearance of bullying. They lost and their nerves are raw. And you have people telling you they think they know why you lost in the form of a question, of course.
Of course I understand that the press can be incredibly harsh but she's got her point across. That said it certainly is not a mental health issue at least the way mental health is being defined today. I am ok with calling it bullying, prodding, instigating etc. Calling it a mental health issue is probably demeaning the term as it is applied to people actually diagnosed with one. This one is akin to me driving to work and facing rash drivers on the road. It's stressful and not part of my work but it's something everyone going to work, faces. I can't expect all vehicles to be off the road for me.
 

Amritia

Hall of Fame
It is a mental health concern if it causes a deterioration in her performance or general well-being, albeit one of minor concern.
But from Mari Osaka's statement; the journalists question would contribute to a poor performance on clay specifically. That cannot be equated in any way to a mental health concern.
 

Zoid

Hall of Fame
I thin Naomi isn't quite understanding the economics behind her $55 million a year that she gets to play tennis.

I think anytime you command that amount of money, you better be good and on top of yourself. A CEO, a boss, or anyone wanting to command a salary that big wouldn't be able to tell their board that they are skipping meetings for their mental health - the honourable thing to do would be to accept that you are struggling, and step away completely until you are right. The press is part and parcel of a being a pro tennis player, if you can't handle it, I think you need to step away completely. If the pressure is too much, you're probably in the wrong vocation.

The money doesn't come from just winning matches, it comes from winning matches and providing exposure--for your sponsors, but also for the tournament (that is paying you HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars per hour basically) plus billboards, ads, interviews, press conferences; that's why she gets that money. Prize money is what the matches pays for, and that's it.

Personally, I thought this was a pretty ignorant and precious stance. Everyone has issues; the player scraping into main draw 120 in the world making 50k a year has issues all the same - though they would probably love some attention sometime and would love to feel important enough to get asked questions. The janitor who cleans the locker room at midnight on $20/hour has issues and I'm sure his job comes with parts of it (perhaps most of it) that he doesn't like doing. He still does it, because it's his damn job.

Federer has done interviews in English, French, Swiss German, Italian etc etc for 20 years and never once not showed up, even after some heart breaking losses - ditto for novak and rafa.

I'm all for mental health, but sometimes this new age obsession with shielding oneself from 'harm' in the name of your 'mental health' is really just shying away from challenges and difficulties in life that are just part of it, and that would probably make you a tougher and better person in the long run.

It's tennis. I think this shows the naivety of Osaka more than anything. She's young and she's a great tennis player, and I think she means well when she says things. But she needs a reality check big time.
 

The Guru

Legend
It's part of the job if you don't like it then quit or be fired (defaulted). She knew what she was signing up for when she became a pro tennis player. She doesn't get paid to win tennis matches she gets paid to entertain. The media is what makes her living for her. She's biting the hand that feeds her and the "hand" is fully within its rights then to stop feeding her.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Everybody, including political leaders, avoid the increasingly smaller rat pack of journalists for direct communication with their public. There is room for compromise here.
 

Zoid

Hall of Fame
Everybody, including political leaders, avoid the increasingly smaller rat pack of journalists for direct communication with their public. There is room for compromise here.

Agree. But announcing on your twitter on the eve of the French with a sassy post about 'getting fined but whatever' comes across as out of touch. There are appropriate ways of starting this kind of discussion.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Announcing that you'd accept getting fined was a mistake, because the authorities immediately replied we'll either default or ban you.

They may have thought she'd capitulate due to the fines otherwise.

Agree. But announcing on your twitter on the eve of the French with a sassy post about 'getting fined but whatever' comes across as out of touch. There are appropriate ways of starting this kind of discussion.
 

big ted

Legend
shes obviously skipping interviews for her own self interest so she can keep her focus on winning this thing so imo the FO is right that its not fair to the other players shes having an unfair advantage
 

bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
I am willing to bet that once Osaka invokes #BLM, #metoo and #timeup, tournament and WTA officials will back off for fear of being you know what.

Some of the journalists are professional and know what they are doing but the rest of them have no clues about women tennis and they are asking tennis athletes the same stupid questions over and over again with the intention of tripping them up and write bad things about them. GS organizers must and should scrutinzed these reporters to make sure they ask correct questions with actual thoughts behind them. If those journalists fail to do so, both the journalist and the company will be banned from future events for the next 36 months. I guarantee you that those stupid questions will disappear very quickly.

Osaka does have a valid point on that.
 

big ted

Legend
Some of the journalists are professional and know what they are doing but the rest of them have no clues about women tennis and they are asking tennis athletes the same stupid questions over and over again with the intention of tripping them up and write bad things about them. GS organizers must and should scrutinzed these reporters to make sure they ask correct questions with actual thoughts behind them. If those journalists fail to do so, both the journalist and the company will be banned from future events for the next 36 months. I guarantee you that those stupid questions will disappear very quickly.

Osaka does have a valid point on that.

lets be clear apparently she only has a problem with FO journalists becuz she cant handle being asked why shes bad on clay. shes not going to do this every tournament. she coulda just taken the medvedev route and laughed it off but..lol
 

Soianka

Hall of Fame
This is getting more attention than it deserves.

At this point I say leave her alone, respect her wishes, don't force her to appear in press conferences.

Hopefully the press also respects tennis fans' wishes and never interviews her again win or lose.

The only people who should hear from her are those who willingly follow her on social media.

you certainly don't speak for all tennis fans. You only speak for yourself.
 

Arak

Legend
To me the matter is simple. Between a human and a journalist, I choose the human every single time, even when they’re wrong. Between a player and grand slam organizers, I choose the player, blindly.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
They may have thought she'd capitulate due to the fines otherwise.

Nonsense. Please try to think clearly!

Someone earning $50 million is not going to capitulate due to a $20 thousand dollar fine. What a joke.

Another story entirely for the #100 ranked RG Qualifier that is barely breaking even. That fellow player does not have the luxury of skipping and flouting the rules like your favourite Diva does.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
A 20k fine levied even four or five times a month adds up to one million a year.

You're just bad at arithmetic.

Nonsense. Someone earning $50 million is not going to capitulate due to a 20 thousand dollar fine. What a joke.

Please try to think clearly!
 

TenS_Ace

Professional
Nonsense. Please try to think clearly!

Someone earning $50 million is not going to capitulate due to a $20 thousand dollar fine. What a joke.

Another story entirely for the #100 ranked RG Qualifier that is barely breaking even. That fellow player does not have the luxury of skipping and flouting the rules like your favourite Diva does.
Yep......... :-D:-D:-D
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
A 20k fine levied even four or five times a month adds up to one million a year.

You're just bad at arithmetic.

She did not mention any other tournament or Slams. She is only going to boycott RG because she says she sucks on clay. Somehow all that "mental health abuse" from reporters magically disappears when she plays on the hard courts.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
I read her saying the precise opposite, and why would the other slams be concerned if they didn't think she might boycott their media as well?

She did not mention any other tournament or Slams. She is only going to boycott RG because she says she sucks on clay. Somehow all that "mental health abuse" from reporters magically disappears when she plays on the hard courts.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
I read her saying the precise opposite, and why would the other slams be concerned if they didn't think she might boycott their media as well?

4 Slams x 7 rounds =28 fines. Even if each fine is $20,000 that is still peanuts to her.

So your theory that the Slam organizers thought she was gonna back down due to the fines is hogwash.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
That's half a million so a goodly price to pay for the right to remain silent, but yet they will still force her to attend on pain of disqualification.

4 Slams x 7 rounds =28 fines. Even if each fine is $20,000 that is still peanuts to her.

So your theory that the Slam organizers thought she was gonna back down due to the fines is hogwash.
 

terribleIVAN

Hall of Fame
Osaka was 100% deluded about the whole BLM thing.

But i'm 100% behind her on this press conference thing. She's absolutely right reporters often intentionally kick players when they're down expecting them to manage difficult moments as would a 45 year old adult.

Most teens and young adults have no clue how to manage their lives in this crazy world we're living in; and reporters often attempt to take advantage of this fact in order to create controversy.

Next thing you get players hiring press advisers to anticipate these obstacles and rehearse their responses (Serena, Roger) and then the whole press conference idea becomes a farce because all parties just play endlessly their planed role and nobody is speaking truly their mind.

I remember how the French press handled the Gasquet heroin affair; it was despicable from them all.

I would rather kick the reporters out of tournaments and just enjoy the tennis.
 
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Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
That's half a million so a goodly price to pay

It is peanuts. A small price to pay for her supposed "mental health" issue but we all know it has nothing to do with that. She just does not want the minor inconvenience of having to answer boring mundane questions for 10 minutes. Something that every other player does.

Nobody should even think of "doubting" her or dare ask a question that makes her doubt herself. Quite the Diva.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
Osaka was 100% deluded about the whole BLM thing.

But i'm 100% behind her on this press conference thing. She's absolutely right reporters often intentionally kick players when they're down expecting them to manage difficult moments as would a 45 year old adult.

Most teens and young adults have no clue how to manage their lives in this crazy world we're living in; and reporters often attempt to take advantage of this fact in order to create controversy.

I remember how the French press handled the Gasquet heroin affair; it was despicable from them all.

I would rather kick the reporters out of tournaments and just enjoy the tennis.

No she wasn't.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
That's half a million so a goodly price to pay for the right to remain silent, but yet they will still force her to attend on pain of disqualification.

They are bluffing. They will fine her but they are not gonna DQ the top player in the world.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
But i'm 100% behind her on this press conference thing. She's absolutely right reporters often intentionally kick players when they're down expecting them to manage difficult moments as would a 45 year old adult.

The media fawns over her.

You will need to point out when exactly she was kicked down. She claims that it happens at every presser she does. But nobody can cite just a few examples from the thousands of softball questions she has fielded.

Very odd.
:unsure:
 

terribleIVAN

Hall of Fame
I would love to be able one day to put a journalist on the stand and ask him why his profession is unable to print 2 true sentences in a row and then hold him accountable for his response.
 
Even LeBron James has to answer the press because thats whats required in his contract

Naomi the Japanese player from Florida is turning diva into a next level sport

She is a scumbag
 

Dolgopolov85

G.O.A.T.
I mean, when she spends time on as toxic a platform as Twitter and mocks critics with posts like "Rent Free", it is hard to take her complaints about the far more respectful press reporters seriously. When a certain RW politician who will not be named here does the same thing, you descend with the best brickbats in the world on him and yet here you are, feeling compelled to support her because she was clever enough to couch it in terms of mental health.

Just because she is shy and is a woman of few words doesn't mean she is not a diva. She is probably the biggest diva yet in tennis.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
If they want to write commentary on that fact then then they can, but what good can come from her being continually grilled about her weakness?

Should journalists just ignore the fact that the #2 player in the world can barely win matches on clay?
 
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