Tennis-Japan, sponsors join athletes to support Osaka after French Open withdrawal (updated)
01/06/2021 07:58
(Adds comments from Becker, sponsors)
By Akira Tomoshige
TOKYO, June 1 (Reuters) - Naomi Osaka received support from
her country Japan, her sponsors and leading sporting figures on
Tuesday after the world number two withdrew from the French Open
in a row about media duties, saying she had been suffering from
depression and anxiety.
One of the biggest names in sport, Osaka stunned the tennis
world when she pulled out of the Grand Slam on Monday after
being fined and threatened with expulsion for declining to face
the media after her first-round match on Sunday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NI1NF
The four-times Grand Slam champion had last week signalled
her intentions to skip her media duties to protect her mental
well-being and she returned to Twitter on Monday to announce her
withdrawal. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2NJ088
While her original stance had earned the Japanese
23-year-old little backing from her fellow professionals, most
saying that dealing with the media was part of the job, her
withdrawal triggered a wave of support from around the world.
"The first thing to be considered is Ms. Osaka's health. I
wish her the earliest possible recovery," Japan Tennis
Association (JTA) Executive Director Toshihisa Tsuchihashi said
in a statement on Tuesday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news
conference that he would "watch over her quietly" and there was
concern on the streets of Tokyo for the woman who will be one of
the faces of this year's Olympic Games in the city.
"I think she's under a lot of pressure, more than we can
imagine," kimono dresser Tomomi Noguchi, 67, told Reuters.
"She got to the top when she was young so I think we can't
really imagine what she's going through."
According to sports business website Sportico, Osaka earned
$55.2 million over the past 12 months - a record haul for a
female athlete - much of it from sponsorship deals with major
companies in Japan and the United States.
Japanese sponsor Nissin Foods wished Osaka a quick recovery
while the world's biggest athletic shoe maker, Nike, lauded her
for her courage in sharing her mental health experience.
"Naomi Osaka's decision reminds us all how important it is
to prioritise personal health and well-being," Mastercard, one
of Osaka's long list of sponsors, said in a statement.
"We support her and admire her courage to address important
issues, both on and off the court."
Vickie Skorji, who manages a helpline at TELL, a non-profit
counselling service in Japan, said society needed to be "more
respectful and supportive" of mental health.
"Who has asked her how she is doing? She put out a statement
and said 'I need to take care of myself,' and she's been
punished," Skorji told Reuters.
"I think she is courageous and needs support."
'INCREDIBLY BRAVE'
Skorji's thoughts echoed earlier comments from women's
tennis trailblazers Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NI1Q1
"It's incredibly brave that Naomi Osaka has revealed her
truth about her struggle with depression," King wrote on social
media. "Right now, the important thing is that we give her the
space and time she needs. We wish her well."
Williams sisters Serena and Venus, as well as younger
American players Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens, chimed in with
messages of support as the focus shifted from Osaka's
responsibilities to her wellbeing. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NI1WP
There were also messages of support from athletes in other
sports.
"You shouldn't ever have to make a decision like this -- but
so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be
don't protect their own. Major respect," wrote NBA All Star
Steph Curry on Twitter.
Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah told Sky News: "I've
been in that scenario where you have 40 journalists, you've got
the camera right in front of you, and it's nerve-wracking, and
you can only support her."
Osaka said "the rules are quite outdated in parts" and
expressed desire to work with tennis administrators to improve
things for players, press and fans. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2NJ088
Former British No. 1 Laura Robson told BBC that the four
Grand Slams, who threatened Osaka with an expulsion from Roland
Garros and future majors, should not have let the matter
escalate.
There was also some criticism of Roland Garros organisers
for their handling of the matter.
French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton read a
prepared statement on Monday offering Osaka their support but
the irony of him not taking questions afterwards was not lost on
some.
"So the FFT handled the Ms Osaka mental health concerns
without empathy or sensitivity. Then the FFT President refuses
to take questions at a presser. An own goal," wrote former
Australian tennis official Richard Ings.
Six-times major champion Boris Becker was worried Osaka's
career could be in danger because of mental health issues.
"If she can't cope with the media in Paris, she can't cope
with the media in Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. So I almost feel
like her career is in danger due to mental health issues," he
told Eurosport. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N2NJ0WE
(Writing by Nick Mulvenney and Sudipto Ganguly. Additional
reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Ian Ransom, Shrivathsa Sridhar,
Frank Pingue and Martyn Herman; Editing by Peter Rutherford and
Christian Radnedge)
((Nick.Mulvenney@tr.com; +61 2 9321 8190;))