IT’S OK NOT TO BE OK
Tennis Champion Naomi Osaka proved that walking away sometimes takes more courage than choosing to “tough it out”
ON 31 MAY 2021, then world no.2 women’s tennis champion Naomi Osaka shocked the world by announcing her complete withdrawal from the French Open after receiving a fine and threats of expulsion. It shocked the world, because right until Osaka’s stance, a star athlete dropping out of a major tennis tournament over mental health issues had been perceived as a sign of weakness.
“This isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago,” Osaka wrote on social media. “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris. Osaka had been suffering “long bouts of depression” and salt to injury, she received criticism from viewers who felt that media events are “part of the job.”
It should not have been a debate about the job scope of an athlete. Granted, media access is critical to the success of high level sporting events such as the French Open. However, the 23-year- old tennis player and four-time Grand Slam singles champion was simply explaining that she was limiting her performance to the game in order to protect her mental health rather than issuing a blanket ban on all media appearances.
She is an athlete, not exactly a media celebrity. And she was prepared to pay the $15,000 fine for failing to make the expected media appearances. The threat of expulsion was, however, a step too far. It could have crippled her career. In forcing her hand, they essentially forced her out. And this is where she didn’t blink and instead, called their bluff.
She Didn’t “Crack” Under Pressure
TAG Heuer recognised in Osaka a bold expression of its founding values ‒ a passion for action, a drive for high performance, and mental strength that doesn’t crack under pressure. It saw her as a natural and authentic fit for the company. Many of her other sponsors have acknowledged this too, with Nike saying, “We support her and recognise her courage in sharing her own mental health experience”, while Mastercard tweeted: “Naomi Osaka’s decision reminds us all how important it is to prioritise personal health and well-being.”
Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father, Osaka moved to the United States with her family when she was three. Now residing in Los Angeles, she took a leading role in protesting the deaths of George Floyd, Jacob Blake and other black people who died at the hands of the police last year, wearing a mask with a different victim’s name on each match day at the 2020 US Open. She is not only courageous, but also emblematic in using her platform to push for righteous causes.
Po rait Of Mental Strength
While there is no distinct difference between male and female depression, some symptoms are more common in men. Men are more likely to use alcohol and drugs to cope with depression rather than talking about it. Osaka’s stand on her mental wellbeing has cast new light on the social perception that “toughness” means facing and enduring any unpleasant event. For men, this attitude manifests in a toxic masculinity that contributes to a higher incidence of suicide among males, regardless of age groups. As of 2015, almost two-thirds of worldwide suicides (representing about 1.5 per cent of all deaths) are committed by men.
It can be argued that professional athletes are also entertainers. Yet they are not actors on a stage. There is an emotional investment in sports because of definite life-altering outcomes, and the pressure of competing on an international level is high. Perhaps a day will come when Osaka can be part of a progressive dialogue on mental health and what it means to be an athlete at the highest levels, including talking to the press.
According to Forbes, Osaka is the world’s highest-paid woman athlete, earning
$37 million in 2020 from blue- chip sponsors such as Louis Vuitton and AirBnB, in addition to Tag Heuer, Mastercard and Nike.
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“AS ATHLETES WE ARE TAUGHT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR BODY, AND PERHAPS THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECT GETS SHORT SHRIFT. THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN DOING OR NOT DOING A PRESS CONFERENCE. GOOD LUCK NAOMI – WE ARE ALL PULLING FOR YOU!“– MARTINA NAVRATILOVA