Written by I’m a big fan of Naomi Osaka. She has guts. Not only is she one of the top tennis players in the world, but she is also one of the most effective communicators in professional sports. Once again, Osaka has brought attention to an important issue and started a public discussion without speaking one word. She’s brilliant, and I hope she can overcome the bouts of depression she has suffered the past three years.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how Osaka had taken time during the shutdown to reflect on how she could make a difference and then brought attention to the Black Lives Matter movement during the U.S. Open. This week, she received international attention to highlight mental health issues in sports and the importance of removing their stigma.
Osaka suffers from social anxiety. Like many people, she is an extreme introvert and fears standing up in front of crowds to answer questions. Tennis is an international sport covered by many media outlets in numerous languages. However, the press has little access to the athletes outside of the four major tournaments each year.
Osaka announced she would not participate in mandatory press conferences during this year’s French Open and then pulled out of the tournament in response to the controversy it caused. Instead, she posted statements on social media to explain her rationale. So far, her Twitter and Instagram posts have generated over a million likes. By doing this, she has generated far more discussion and attention to the tournament than any response to a canned question in a post-match interview.
Numerous athletes have spoken up on her behalf to support her, including Steph Curry. Serena and Venus Williams have had to endure identical scrutiny from the press throughout their careers, and Osaka has witnessed this firsthand. Her vulnerability in how she has opened up to explain her troubles is courageous. Hopefully, the attention she is generating to the issue will force the hand of the sports leagues to provide better protection to the athletes that support them. Unfortunately, the major tennis tournaments chose to flex their muscle against one of the sport’s top draws rather than offering to listen.
Osaka’s actions have spurred a discussion on the responsibility of athletes to engage in media events. Unfortunately, it is another instance where we are stuck in tradition. Once upon a time, the media was the conduit between the athletes and their fans. An institution emerged around this, and both sides benefitted from the relationship. The press sold advertising, and the athletes and their leagues drew attention to their sport. It was a win-win.
Now, the relationship is more complicated. The media remains influential and beneficial. However, social media is gradually reducing the need for a middleman. Like our former president, athletes and other celebrities are learning that you can interact directly with the public without the nuisance of standing behind a podium answering the same questions you answered the day before.
One problem is that sometimes the athletes, teams, and leagues don’t always provide complete transparency, and occasionally their statements could use fact-checking. I don’t see this problem with Osaka’s communication, but you see this every day. For example, in Major League Baseball, teams are notorious for how they communicate player injuries. Don’t we all have “shoulder soreness”? Last week, Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel missed several games due to “left middle finger inflammation.” What is that? The Houston Texans are always trying to be like Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in going to great lengths to keep information from the public. They held their first practice last week after their tragic offseason, where they have completely revamped their roster. Unfortunately, they only provided the press covering the event with an alphabetical roster sheet that didn’t have the numbers of the players printed on it.
Love it or hate it, the media plays a valuable role in extracting, verifying, and publishing information we can trust. We all benefit from it. But, unfortunately, bad actors in pursuit of profit have broken down that trust. Jamele Hill wrote an excellent article in The Atlantic on how this incident is part of the back and forth between the players and the leagues on who can make the rules. The athletes now have direct access to the public and are gaining ground in the power struggle, and the authorities are pushing back. But, once again, resistance to change is at play. And change is desperately needed.
For the most part, all of the parties involved want to do their jobs effectively. But, as usual, two camps have emerged in response to Osaka’s actions. Not everyone has come out in her support. Many others feel she is acting like an entitled diva. As insensitive to Osaka’s mental health problems that may sound, it is her responsibility to face the press. She signed up for it. Like Harry and Meghan versus the British royal family, everyone picks one side or the other rather than working together to find a solution.
In her tweet, Osaka says she will work with the Tour to discuss ways to make things better for the players, press, and fans. I find it unfortunate that her pledge is not getting more attention. I do not doubt that Naomi can help solve this problem. And, she has proven through her actions that we all need to take her seriously. Naomi Osaka can deliver a message as powerful as her serve.