Naomi Osaka has made a shocking revelation about her relationship with the media during her rise to fame. The four-time Grand Slam champion has opened up about a deeply troubling experience that changed how she approached press conferences.
Naomi Osaka on How The Media Treated Her
The 27-year-old’s candid admission sheds new light on the mental health struggles that led to her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open and highlights the ongoing challenges athletes face when dealing with media obligations.
Recently on the Jay Shetty Podcast, Osaka shared her media experience, stating:
“I feel like my personality type is very honest. I pride myself on being very straightforward and honest, and that’s kind of what’s gotten me in trouble quite a couple times.”
The tennis star went on to explain how her approach to press conferences changed over time.
“But, when we’re doing a press conference, I see the people on the other side of the table as humans. And I would say that’s also where the line started to get blurred for me a little bit is because I’ve been doing press conferences since I was like 16-17,” Osaka revealed.
“When I began to become a little bit more known, more and more people entered those press conferences and I felt like they weren’t treating me like I was a human. It was more like let’s ask her a question to get this like one-liner or this article grab,” she added.
The Japanese further said that this treatment was the reason why she became more tearful in press conferences.
“So that’s where I started to become a little bit fearful. I think people can see that I became a little bit more closed off, which is natural,” Osaka claimed.
The Bigger Picture of Mental Health In Sports
Osaka’s brutal honesty about media treatment highlights the athlete mental health that she helped bring into the spotlight. In May 2021, she withdrew from the French Open after being fined $15,000 for skipping a mandatory press conference. At the time, she revealed she had “suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018.”
The Japanese star’s decision to prioritize her mental health over tournament obligations sparked worldwide debate. She wrote on social media: “I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.” Her actions led to concrete changes in how tennis tournaments handle media obligations.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 26, 2021
Following Osaka’s withdrawal, the French Open implemented new formats for post-match press conferences designed to be more player-friendly. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo confirmed these changes were a reaction to what happened with the Japanese. The new system offers flexibility through mixed-zone media formats and exceptions for players experiencing mental distress.
Osaka is currently competing in the 2025 National Bank Open and is set to face Anastasija Sevastova in a round of 16 match.
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