Why Women Need to Thank Naomi Osaka for Taking a Stance
We need to take a page out of her playbook
Update: On the day after the publication of this article, Naomi Osaka announced her withdrawal from the French Open. In an unexpected revelation for an athlete in any field, Osaka shared that she has been battling with depression and anxiety. Her courage to speak her truth, take public measures to self-preserve, and prioritize her well-being over the demands of her career is an unprecedented act of radical self-care for any woman of her age or notoriety.
Naomi Osaka’s announcement on Twitter that she would not participate in press conferences after her games at the French Open has much deeper implications for women, in particular BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) women. Her stance, while controversial to some, is unambiguous: Osaka is safeguarding her mental health. In her tweet, Osaka pointed to the lack of regard for athletes’ mental health:
I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.
