Japan’s World No. 2 breaks down in her first media interaction following an exchange with scribe
Naomi Osaka. Pic/Getty Images
Naomi Osaka struggled to hold back tears in her first press conference since pulling out from the French Open over mental health concerns.
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Osaka, 23, broke down during a press conference at the Cincinnati Open on Monday when local reporter Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty appeared to confront her about balancing having a big media profile and not speaking to the media.
“You’re not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format. Yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform,” Daugherty asked during the zoom interview.
“I guess my question is: How do you balance the two?” Daugherty added.
Osaka took a moment to gather herself before replying, “When you say I’m not crazy about dealing with you guys, what does that refer to?”
After a brief exchange, the Japanese said, “I’m not really sure how to balance the two. Like I’m figuring it out at the same time as you are.”
Teary-eyed Naomi
But Osaka started tearing when another reporter asked tennis-related questions and the four-time Grand Slam champion left the room to compose herself.
Osaka then returned to the interview room to continue the press conference.
“Ever since I was young, I have had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it’s because of my background as well as how I play. I’m a tennis player. That’s why a lot of people are interested in me,” she said.
“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 that I tweet or some things that I say that kind of create a lot of news articles or things like that, and I know it’s because I have won a couple of Grand Slams and I have done a lot of press conferences that these things happen.”
Step by step
Playing in her first hardcourt event in the US after a difficult summer when she withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon due to mental issues, Osaka said she will be taking it one match at a time in the Cincinnati Masters.
“I would say when I came back from Tokyo, I took three days off, and then I immediately started practicing again. For me, I felt like I played well in Tokyo, but there were still some decisions that I didn’t make that well, so I just wanted to get that feeling back because I honestly haven’t played many matches this year.
“So I would say I’m trying to take it one match at a time, and I don’t even know who my opponent is going to be, so just trying to train really hard each day and see where that takes me,” Osaka said.
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