Wow. Naomi Osaki is refusing to do a single press conference at French Open. Says it impacts her "mental health" too much

yawn3 wrote:

Yawn^2 wrote:

An extended social media post comes across as attention seeking. Claiming social anxiety comes across as attention seeking (the same theming she claims she wants to avoid).

I have zero issues in the future if she works out deals where she doesn’t have to give interviews or gives 1 million of them. The only things here worth noting is following tourney and/or contract negotiations is important as is not looking like a fool while breaking them. If she wants to quit a tournament, then she has every right not to play. Just know there are potential consequences.

Except this strangely enough will be good for her brand. She is a minority and a female who self revealed problems with depression. She will gain sympathy and attention. A large number of people will be supporting her and rooting her on now.

Actually I hadn't seen much in the news about her till now. I see more commercials in her future.

Yawn^2 wrote:

Armstronglivs wrote:

Then there should be no press conferences for any sports. Indeed, there should be no media attention of any sporting event. It all contributes to the mental unwellness of these extraordinarily well-paid individuals. If course, if some do suffer from mental health issues you might think the greater stress is on court and playing the game, not talking about it afterwards. I would be quite happy for them to retreat from all media attention - if they are quite happy to return to the good old days of amateur sport, when all you got from the game was fun and not an enormous pay-check.

This is exactly it. These athletes want everything and don’t want to give anything.

If answering a few standard questions is hard for you, then you need a new profession.

“Why do you struggle on clay?” “Well it’s just a surface I have yet to master but I work on it every chance I get and I’ll see results from that practice one day.”

Was that so hard? I just answered a question she might get asked and no one paid me millions.

I personally hate talking on the phone, but I am not about to tell my boss I’m not taking phone calls anymore.

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Yawn^2 wrote:

This is exactly it. These athletes want everything and don’t want to give anything.

If answering a few standard questions is hard for you, then you need a new profession.

“Why do you struggle on clay?” “Well it’s just a surface I have yet to master but I work on it every chance I get and I’ll see results from that practice one day.”

Was that so hard? I just answered a question she might get asked and no one paid me millions.

I personally hate talking on the phone, but I am not about to tell my boss I’m not taking phone calls anymore.

Yeah, but you have an easily replaced skill set that your boss could replace in a heartbeat. Ergo, you don’t have the same power in the employee/employer relationship that this exceptional young woman has. Although, even if you did you might choose to lick your boss’s boots based on your posts ITT. I think we can all parse the realities of your position with Osaka and it’s kinda pathetic and sad.

Looks like all of Osaka’s sponsors are sticking with her. So, she continues to get paid and she doesn’t have to do any asinine pressers.

Tennis tourneys will start making press conferences voluntary due to her high profile and the fact they will start losing top talent. She comes out like a boss and the stodgy old tennis bureaucracy looks like a bunch of insensitive clowns. They need to remember who draws in the fans and it sure as heck isn’t them.

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Yawn^2 wrote:

This is exactly it. These athletes want everything and don’t want to give anything.

If answering a few standard questions is hard for you, then you need a new profession.

“Why do you struggle on clay?” “Well it’s just a surface I have yet to master but I work on it every chance I get and I’ll see results from that practice one day.”

Was that so hard? I just answered a question she might get asked and no one paid me millions.

I personally hate talking on the phone, but I am not about to tell my boss I’m not taking phone calls anymore.

Yeah, but you have an easily replaced skill set that your boss could replace in a heartbeat. Ergo, you don’t have the same power in the employee/employer relationship that this exceptional young woman has. Although, even if you did you might choose to lick your boss’s boots based on your posts ITT. I think we can all parse the realities of your position with Osaka and it’s kinda pathetic and sad.

Looks like all of Osaka’s sponsors are sticking with her. So, she continues to get paid and she doesn’t have to do any asinine pressers.

Tennis tourneys will start making press conferences voluntary due to her high profile and the fact they will start losing top talent. She comes out like a boss and the stodgy old tennis bureaucracy looks like a bunch of insensitive clowns. They need to remember who draws in the fans and it sure as heck isn’t them.

Yawn^2 wrote:

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Yeah, but you have an easily replaced skill set that your boss could replace in a heartbeat. Ergo, you don’t have the same power in the employee/employer relationship that this exceptional young woman has. Although, even if you did you might choose to lick your boss’s boots based on your posts ITT. I think we can all parse the realities of your position with Osaka and it’s kinda pathetic and sad.

Looks like all of Osaka’s sponsors are sticking with her. So, she continues to get paid and she doesn’t have to do any asinine pressers.

Tennis tourneys will start making press conferences voluntary due to her high profile and the fact they will start losing top talent. She comes out like a boss and the stodgy old tennis bureaucracy looks like a bunch of insensitive clowns. They need to remember who draws in the fans and it sure as heck isn’t them.

Funny how even without her the French open will still crown a winner. They did every year before she came on scene too. She isn’t as important to the sport as you think she is.

The French open will endure longer then her.

Good for Nike for sticking by her. Worked out real well for kaepernick too. I’ve come to expect as little from Nike.

Yawn^2 wrote:

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Yeah, but you have an easily replaced skill set that your boss could replace in a heartbeat. Ergo, you don’t have the same power in the employee/employer relationship that this exceptional young woman has. Although, even if you did you might choose to lick your boss’s boots based on your posts ITT. I think we can all parse the realities of your position with Osaka and it’s kinda pathetic and sad.

Looks like all of Osaka’s sponsors are sticking with her. So, she continues to get paid and she doesn’t have to do any asinine pressers.

Tennis tourneys will start making press conferences voluntary due to her high profile and the fact they will start losing top talent. She comes out like a boss and the stodgy old tennis bureaucracy looks like a bunch of insensitive clowns. They need to remember who draws in the fans and it sure as heck isn’t them.

Funny how even without her the French open will still crown a winner. They did every year before she came on scene too. She isn’t as important to the sport as you think she is.

The French open will endure longer then her.

Good for Nike for sticking by her. Worked out real well for kaepernick too. I’ve come to expect as little from Nike.

Cancun Cruz wrote:

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Looks like all of Osaka’s sponsors are sticking with her. So, she continues to get paid and she doesn’t have to do any asinine pressers.

Tennis tourneys will start making press conferences voluntary due to her high profile and the fact they will start losing top talent. She comes out like a boss and the stodgy old tennis bureaucracy looks like a bunch of insensitive clowns. They need to remember who draws in the fans and it sure as heck isn’t them.

What did you expect, that sponsors would drop her over this?

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Osaka and press conferences, but she likely gave up a lot of money and potentially a grand slam title to avoid answering some questions, so dont act like it was a win-win situation for her.

Top talent is not going away because of press conferences. It's an extraordinarily small price to pay for pro tennis players, who are compensated quite well.

Fans are drawn in by watching exciting matches as well as hearing what the top players have to say about their performances and the sport. They hear this largely via press conferences or articles written based on press conference quotes (or other post-match interviews either on court or with the TV hosts). Fans aren't being drawn to the sport by seeing an empty chair.

Osaka comes across as whiny, entitled, and a bit of a bully.