Naomi Osaka fined $15,000 and threatened with expulsion for avoiding the media at French Open (1 Viewer)

[Tickita]

Naomi Osaka has been fined $15,000 after not appearing at a press conference at the French Open, the tournament organization announced Sunday. In addition to the fine, the No. 2-ranked, four-time Grand Slam winner could face harsher penalties if she continues to refuse to speak to the media.

"Naomi Osaka today chose not to honor her contractual media obligations. The Roland-Garros referee has therefore issued her a $15,000 fine, in keeping with article III H. of the Code of Conduct," the four Grand Slam tournaments said Sunday in a joint statement.

Osaka had announced last Wednesday that she would not do press at the French Open because she considered the practice harmful to athletes' mental health. "We're often sat there and asked questions that we've been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I'm not just going to subject myself to people that doubt me," she wrote across social media platforms. The 23-year-old added that she hoped any fines she is forced to pay would go toward a mental health charity.

More at CBS News

 

[Hajima]

Wtf is wrong with this world!! Fucking morons, leave the girl alone.

 

[LoveYooShaSha]

On the one hand, i can understand where she's coming from as she has a very good point. But the Slams & WTA will nvr accept it as a permanent thing for players to nvr do press conferences. It's kinda their bread n butter.

Maybe if Serena n other top women players banded together to put the onus on the press to be more professional in their questions, but im unsure if the questions tat Federer, Nadal, Jokovic n Murray get are less detrimental to their mental health. Or McEnroe, Borg or Connors. Or in different sports, Jordan, Kobe, or Tiger. I dont see any solution tat prioritises her mental health over the needs of the tournaments/Slams/WTA/sponsors. Idk if she talked to others like Hingis, Navratilova, Graf, Evert or King. Kim Clijsters, Henin n Wozniacki maybe woulda been players who it mighta been good to talk to about prioritising mental health on the women's tour; just my observer's perspective.

 

[Bopper]

Whilst I understand that sportspeople (regardless of what sport they do) need to fulfill media commitments and answer questions, the hostile environment doesn't help them answer or give them a chance to explain. Journalists need to work with them rather than against them. Asking pointless questions or questions for clickbait purposes just creates most angst from everyone where it isn't needed.

 

[Drew_B]

And now she has withdrawn completely.

 

[RandAlThor]

bummer, but that is the job.

how much do the guys like being asked hey do you have a chance against Nadal here in a 1000 different ways ...

 

[QueenB]

I don't understand why the organization would fine her for not doing press....she's an athlete her job is to play the sport not be a media darling so its ridiculous to me that they would penalize her for it.

I'm glad she's doing what is best for her. I feel like tennis orgs are going to face a reckoning soon since they keep going after their top players and most people in the public seem to be souring towards their rules and regulations. I've already seen people float the idea of boycotting the French Open.

 

[Handcrafted]

It’s unfortunate that’s it’s a part of her contract but they should have some grey areas especially around ones mental health