Osaka on French Open interviews: No comment

This whole Osaka situation seems to be about the biggest issue in sports right now: Who has control -- the athletes or the institutions? That larger question has been a bigger threat to media access than whatever fallout from Osaka's French Open appearance.

 

Naomi Osaka & Cordae: The Coolest Young Couple on the Planet Right Now

 

Like many sports issues involving women, part of this hubbabaloo is because history has been forgotten. Women's tennis has stringent interview rules because not so long ago the sport as an institution was begging for publicity. Availability of the athletes was key to that. No doubt, the world has changed and information has changed and access has changed. Maybe it is stupid to have athletes talk during a tournament... although let's not forget that female college basketball players do interviews at the half during the NCAA tournament and seem fine with it ... and maybe athletes with bona fide anxiety/mental health issues should have some leeway.

But that has to be an internal change with the tennis association. Is there's a players union for women's tennis? If not, perhaps the player should form one in order to have more control. If there is, it needs to flex it's muscles.

It's actually an interesting and complex issue, and one that further diminishes the media. But don't blame the media, because this is about Osaka.

 

So how much was Gilles Moretton fined for refusing to answer questions?

 

Osaka's withdrawal is obviously a cry for help - but in order to heal (or cope) she has to WANT to be helped.

Yet she refused to respond to tournament organizers (who probably would have bent over backwards to find a compromise, like they did by when she wanted a tournament to pause during the Geo Floyd protests).

She could have sought advice from any player (or athlete) in history re: how to deal with press/stress/anxiety.

But here's the biggest tell of all: her sister wrote that someone in their FAMILY had doubted Naomi's ability on clay (yet the focus has been on the press).
Her family's not behind her.

I hope she gets help and quits the sport because there are too many triggers (especially with family). With $55 million this year alone, she can get a great education or do whatever she wants.

 

I disagree with everything you've written on this thread. The bolded above is just plain wrong. He is under the microscope in this tournament.

 

I say this as a CPA who has posted in this sports journalists' message board for practically 20 years - In my opinion, the post match/game press conferences are one iota above useless. Nobody here in 10 pages has developed a real reason why Osaka has to attend these. I've read that other people in other jobs has to do shitty things, so Osaka should as well. Or some other such nonsense.

To allow this to get to the point where one of the best tennis players in the world was checkmated into withdrawing from one of the biggest tournaments of the year is a complete and utter failure. For what? Because she couldn't address some garbled bullshit question, like "Why are you compared to the Williams sisters - is it because you are black?"

A young woman tells the world that she is suffering from depression. Caused in part by attending horrific post match press conferences. And the overwhelming response here is, "tough luck, entitled young person. I have to do shitty things in my job, too."
That's no answer.

The press conferences are a pile of shit.

 

"We have advised Naomi Osaka that, should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further code of conduct infringement consequences," the statement read.

"As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament and the trigger of a major offence investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future grand slam suspensions."

 

What was so horrific about the press conferences which she participated in? Genuinely curious — I can’t say that I watch many of these other than clips which make the news.