“I worry about her,” John McEnroe feels Naomi Osaka is not heading in the right direction
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John McEnroe and Naomi Osaka
John McEnroe says he is worried about Naomi Osaka as he feels that the four-time Grand Slam winner should focus on her game more than anything at this point in time. He also feels that her decision to boycott media only lead to her getting more attention. Osaka was criticized by many for her decision which lead to her pulling out of the French Open despite winning the first match.
He added, “I worry about Naomi because she did something that at the time she thought was right and an incredible thing.” He also said, “But the problem is that there’s more attention on her – Now how is she doing today? How’s the next one? Is she going to Wimbledon?” McEnroe also suggested parents have a huge role to play in the development of a young player, with his experience of some fueling his belief that they are doing more harm than good to their children.
‘You hate to see someone that good having such a tough time’: John McEnroe on Naomi Osaka
“I mean Naomi Osaka comes to mind, you know, she’s been successful at a very young age, she was sort of in a cocoon. And she hasn’t had a chance to grow up as a human being. It looks like it, I mean, I don’t know her. So, you know, this is just a guess,” he said.
“She’s obviously a very introverted person, she’s talked about that, a shy person. And it’s kind of overwhelming in certain ways. And so you hate to see someone that good having such a tough time, who’s, you know, doing so well in so many ways. So that tells me that we need to look at these things more carefully. And hopefully, if us old guys or girls ex-players can be helpful in any way, I think it’s important to try to give some advice so that they feel better able to deal with it.”
Now, Osaka is known as one of the biggest advocates for athletes’ mental health. McEnroe, a former seven-time Grand Slam champion, is happy to see mental health being given more attention in 2022. “I find it healthy in a lot of ways mental health is being talked about more openly. But this isn’t something that just started. This started way before me. Obviously, with more money in sports, it’s become more of a business. Parents see dollar signs in their eyes. It’s gotten way worse in that regard,” McEnroe said.
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Soumyadeep Mondal
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