French Open: Osaka to skip press briefings

PARIS: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Wednesday said she will not take questions from the press at this year’s French Open, saying the nature of news conferences puts an undue burden on players’ mental health. Players can be fined up to $20,000 for skipping a media conference at Grand Slams and Osaka said she hoped the “considerable amount” that she expected to forfeit would go towards a mental health charity.

“I’m writing this to say I’m not going to do any press during Roland Garros,” the Japanese world number two, who lives in the US, wrote on Twitter.

“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.