“It’s against the system,” Naomi Osaka’s email to French Open 2021 organisers reveals the reason behind her media boycott!
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Naomi Osaka
After announcing to the World that she will not be attending any press conferences during her stay at the French Open 2021, via Twitter, Naomi Osaka wrote a follow up email to the French Open authorities explaining why she took that stand. Fortunately or unfortunately that email got leaked and is in public domain now.
As the ‘Naomi Osaka vs French Open’ controversy refuses to die down, let’s take a closer look and try to understand this without taking sides.
Naomi Osaka explains her stand in the ‘leaked email’
Some are calling it a leaked email, and some a shared post. Regardless, the contents of it remain the same. According to a post shared on Twitter via Sports Illustrated Executive Editor and Senior Writer Jon Wertheim,
Naomi Osaka has nothing against the French open or the members of the press and that it was a stand against the system. A system which doesn’t care about the mental health of the athletes and forces them to do press conferences whether they want to do it or not. She also said that she wants to sit down and work with the tennis authorities to find a solution in the future.
Naomi Osaka said that she has “nothing against the French Open or even the press members themselves”. She continued, “This stance is against the system requiring athletes to be forced to do press on occasions when they are suffering from mental health. I believe it is archaic and in need of reform,” She explained, “After this tournament I want to work with the Tours and the governing bodies to figure out how we best compromise to change the system.”
She continued, “Unfortunately for Roland Garros this has happened during your tournament, which is just pure coincidence and nothing personal,” She concluded, “I have nothing but respect for your event.”
Novak Djokovic reacts to the Naomi Osaka controversy
Everyone willingly or unwillingly is being forced to take sides. If you speak in favor of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Gilles Moretton or Tournament director Guy Forget you are in that camp. And if you stick up for Naomi Osaka you are with her. This unfortunately is the reality of the situation now.
Novak Djokovic when asked about the whole situation and his opinion. Did Not shy away from keeping it real. Djokovic, who has often advised Osaka on how to slide etc on grass, said that he understands why players wouldn’t want to do a press conference, especially after he/she has lost a match. But then he added that press conferences had become a part of sport and missing them incurs fine, so better do them.
Novak Djokovic said, “I understand the press conferences sometimes can be very unpleasant, and it’s not something you enjoy always – especially if you lose a match,” He concluded, “But it is part of the sport and part of your life on the tour, and this is something we will have to do, otherwise we will get fined.”
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Auri Ghosh
(652 Articles Published)