Naomi Osaka Breaks Down in Tears During First Press Conference Since French Open Withdrawal

In her first press conference since her withdrawal from the French Open for mental health reasons, Naomi Osaka broke down in tears in front of the media.

On May 31, the four-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the Roland Garros following threats of expulsion from the tournament for her refusal to speak to the media.

The 23-year-old Japanese tennis star missed Wimbledon as well. But did not miss and returned to action for the Olympics in her native land, Japan.

Naomi Osaka Attends a Press Conference

According to The Guardian, Naomi Osaka on Monday agreed to take part in her first press conference in almost three months.

Before her second-round exit at the Cincinnati's Western and Southern Open, the Japanese tennis star had a problematic relationship with sections of the media. Osaka said certain lines of questioning adversely impacted her mental health.

When a reporter accused the renowned tennis player of using the media when it favored her, Osaka broke down in tears.

Media Provokes Naomi Osaka

In her first interview since the French Open, Naomi Osaka stated that doing press conferences is what she felt was the most difficult for her.

She said that she felt this was something that she could speak for everybody and only could speak for herself, Forbes reported. Osaka further noted that since she is a tennis player, many people are interested in her.

"So I would say in that regard I'm quite different to a lot of people, and I can't really help that there are some things I tweet or say that create a lot of news articles or things like that," she added.

After offering a somewhat media-considered answer, Osaka then broke down while trying to listen to the next question thrown at her. The world's number 2 woman's tennis player then left the press conference to compose herself before returning and answering one more question in English and a number in Japanese.

In a written statement, the agent of Naomi Osaka, Stuart Duguid, condemned the reporter's line of questioning on Monday. "The bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player/media relations are so fraught right now," Duguid wrote.

Duguid noted that everyone on that Zoom interview would agree that the reporter's tone was all wrong, and his sole purpose was to intimidate the emotionally unstable athlete.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Tennis star had used her platform in calling attention to mental health issues. Osaka said she has felt supported by her fellow athletes, especially during the Olympics, where other athletes came up to her and said they were really glad that she withdrew and stood for it.

She added that she was proud of what she had done, and she thought it was something that needed to be done.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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