(PARIS) — The French Open fined Naomi Osaka $15,000 for missing mandatory press interviews after her victory on Sunday.
Osaka, currently ranked as the No. 2 tennis player in the world, posted a statement on social media on May 27 that she would not be doing press during the French Open due to mental health. Press conferences are a requirement for all players and missing an obligation can result in up to $20,000 in fines.
“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” she wrote in a post. “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 just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”
Osaka beat Patricia Maria Tig in straight sets in the first round of the French Open. The four-time Grand Slam winner did not do a pregame session with the media nor a post-game conference.
Osaka did, however, give a courtside interview where she said, “I’m really glad
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