Naomi Osaka – the talented introvert who makes a point of getting people talking
Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the French Open (Steven Paston/PA)
A self-confessed introvert, Naomi Osaka’s on-court confidence appears to deteriorate dramatically the moment she steps off it.
A series of stunning performances over recent years have catapulted her to four Grand Slam titles, status as the highest-paid female athlete on the planet, as well as spells as the world’s number one player.
Yet, without a racket in hand, the shy and quirky 23-year-old prefers to remain out of the limelight.
That stance has been epitomised by the current episode leading to her shock withdrawal from the ongoing French Open.
Having suffered bouts of depression dating back to her first slam title in 2018, Osaka attempted to take control of her battle with mental health at Roland Garros by boycotting media duties.
“Anyone that knows me knows I’m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety” she explained.
“Though the tennis press has always been kind to me, I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media.”
The resulting furore – which included a fine of 15,000 US dollars (approximately £10,000) and a potential ban from future tournaments should she not reconsider – compelled her to pull out and the long-term repercussions remain to be seen.
What cannot be speculated upon is Osaka’s talent for the sport.
Her power, understandably, grabs attention but her poise at the biggest moments is also extremely impressive, in addition to her unrelenting desire to find a way to win.
She was hailed as the natural successor to Serena Williams following triumphs at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open and has since underlined her credentials by winning the last two slams on offer, also in New York and Melbourne respectively.
It is Williams to whom Osaka seems inextricably linked.
The young Japanese star grew up idolising the American, they have striking similarities in their games and the US Open final they shared will never be forgotten.
Osaka lifted the trophy to a chorus of boos on that landmark occasion less than three years ago after her high-profile opponent was handed a game penalty.
She has endured mental health struggles since the uncomfortable experience, also revealing that talking to the media triggered anxiety.
Born in Osaka to Haitian father Leonard Francois and mother Tamaki Osaka, she was only a year old when Williams won her first slam title in New York in 1999.
Osaka’s family later moved to the Big Apple, where she attended the US Open as a fan hoping to catch a glimpse of her hero, and then Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Francois had been inspired to teach tennis to his daughters – Osaka’s older
sister, Mari, is also a professional, although as yet without anything like the
success of her sibling – after seeing the Williams sisters at the 1999 French
Open.
The current world number two has previously confessed that at difficult times in matches she asks herself, ‘What would Serena do?’.
Williams, a 23-time grand slam winner, would no doubt approve of her fellow professional’s efforts in the fight against social injustice.
Reluctant to speak in front of journalists, Osaka has sufficiently found her voice to help spearhead anti-racism campaigning.
She has been a vocal advocate for Black Lives Matter, inspiring a pause in play at the Western & Southern Open last year and subsequently wearing facemasks at Flushing Meadows bearing the names of black victims of brutality and violence.
Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy killed by a policeman while playing with a toy gun in 2014, was the name she kept for her victorious final performance against Victoria Azarenka, while Osaka’s boyfriend, rapper Cordae, sat in the stands with a T-shirt bearing the words ‘Defund the police’.
Asked at the presentation ceremony what message she had hoped to send, Osaka replied sharply: “Well what was the message that you got? I feel like the point is to make people start talking.”
Osaka is clearly more comfortable sparking conversations than leading them.
In voluntarily exiting the present tournament, she almost apologetically insisted she “never wanted to be be a distraction”.
It is already too far late for that as the commotion over press conferences and interviews has become the biggest talking point at Roland Garros
Osaka is now preparing for some time away from the court and seems steadfast in her determination to be judged on actions rather than words.
Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the French Open over the storm kicked up by her refusal to fulfil media obligations sent shockwaves through tennis on Monday.
The world number two wrote a lengthy Twitter post explaining her reasoning and stating she would be taking a break from the court.
Here, the PA news agency answers the key questions around an unedifying episode for the sport.
Last Wednesday evening, Osaka took to social media to announce she would not be doing any press at Roland Garros because of the toll on players’ mental health. Osaka hit out at the idea of having to answer questions from people who doubt her and said that being made to do a press conference after a tough loss was “kicking a person while they’re down”.
A lot more widespread and vociferous than Osaka would have imagined. Most players who were asked about the 23-year-old’s stance said they considered media duties part of the job and did not have a problem facing questions, while recognising that they did not know Osaka’s personal situation. In the wider media, the Japanese player was branded a diva in some quarters.
On Sunday, the grand slams issued a rare and unusually strong joint statement stressing that, while they consider mental health to be “of the utmost importance”, obligations are just that. Osaka was fined approximately £10,500 for missing a press conference after her first-round win and told that, should she not reconsider, she could be defaulted from the tournament and banned from future slams.
On Monday evening came Osaka’s Twitter statement, where she opened up on her mental health battles, saying she had suffered long bouts of depression since winning her first grand slam title at the US Open in 2018. Osaka said she did not want to be a distraction and described her anxieties around talking to the media.
This is an episode with no winners and the primary focus now must be on Osaka’s well-being. The WTA has put a lot of resources into supporting players with their mental health and that should not be overlooked. Osaka acknowledged she could have been clearer in her messaging, and it surely would have been better had she talked to someone behind the scenes rather than communicated through social media. But she has brought this issue into the spotlight and the sport must now have a good look at how it accommodates players who struggle with the demands of tennis life off the court and whether better systems can be put in place.
That remains to be seen. Osaka’s anxieties were clearly heightened by her lack of confidence on clay, and the same is true of grass, where she looked thoroughly uncomfortable in 2019, cutting short her press conference after a first-round loss at Wimbledon because she was about to break down. It would not be a surprise if she took time away from the court until the North American hard-court swing, where she has usually been at her best.
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