“Being real, being transparent.” NFL legend Brandon Marshall talks about the effect Naomi Osaka has had on more athletes opening up about their mental health issues

“Being real, being transparent.” NFL legend Brandon Marshall talks about the effect Naomi Osaka has had on more athletes opening up about their mental health issues

Naomi Osaka and Brandon Marshall

Naomi Osaka, the 24-year-old Japanese tennis professional, is currently one of the top WTA players. Ranked world number 4, Osaka already has 4 grand slam titles to her name at such a young age. The Japanese professional has recently struggled to find her form as she faced early exits from many tournaments.

Competing in the most recent US Open, Naomi Osaka faced a first-round defeat. Osaka faced Danielle Collins in the first round of the tournament at the Flushing Meadows, the Japanese professional bowed out of the event after losing in straight sets. Many wonder if it is Naomi’s mental health that is affecting her performance.

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NFL legend talks about Naomi Osaka’s affect on the mental health struggle situation

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka has been one of the leading WTA stars who openly discussed her mental health struggles. The Japanese star has endured many traumatic experiences throughout her career and she has never been shy in talking about it. She is one of the leading figures who is shedding more light on the mental health of athletes which is often neglected.

NFL legend Brandon Marshall seems to think so as well, Marshall was in a conversation with 2-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka when he talked about Osaka. He said, “So now, we become gladiators and we’re not supposed to show any signs of weakness. And to me, while we’re redefining what an athlete is, to me, that is the athlete.

“Being vulnerable, being real, being transparent. Naomi Osaka standing up and saying, ‘You know, I deal with social anxiety.’ And seeing that raw emotion is speaking to the other 15 million Americans, maybe 50 million or 100 million worldwide, that are dealing with the same thing. Yeah.“

Osaka recently took a break from playing tennis as well due to her mental health struggles. The Japanese professional’s comeback hasn’t been smooth but fans hope that she can find her rhythm once again and get back to the top.

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