Mailbag: What's Next for Osaka, Press Conference Standards After French Open?

After her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open sparked conversations on both mental health and press conferences at sporting events, where does Naomi Osaka go from here?

Wednesday is Mailbag Day so here we go….

Obviously the questions were dominated by Osaka and the various angles—and there are infinite ones—to this regrettable saga. I wrote this on Monday night. Here are some additional thoughts, bullet point points trying to incorporate as many of yours as possible. But also, a quick hat-tip to you guys. Lots of viewpoints and thoughts all over the spectrum, but almost all reasonable and thoughtful. How do we transfer that energy to the cesspool of social media?

 • Osaka’s mental health challenges are well known within tennis. She has referenced them. Anyone who has been around this sport and at all attentive would recognize that there are stressors she confronts. The response by tennis’ administration was, at best, a misread. Their joint statement was way out of proportion, the equivalent of bringing an Uzi to a knife-fight. (For a group of events that can’t agree on much—from dates to the best way to end matches in decisive sets—THIS was the time you act in concert?)

• We need to acknowledge that some culpability resides with Osaka. Or at least with her roll-out. There was no discourse, no heads-up. The tournaments were caught flat-footed. Some members of her own team were caught flat-footed. The WTA was caught flat-footed and felt that Osaka had minimized the tour’s various mental health initiatives. The media—which has largely adored Osaka and treated press conference not as interrogations but as free-flowing conversations—felt misrepresented. Her wording was imprecise. Her sister’s follow-up was endearing in its honesty, but raised as many questions as it answered. (Wait, it was a family member who planted doubt?) If the theme is ‘’it should not have come to this,” Osaka played a role as well.

• The media is not the devil. The media is not unfeeling. Press conferences are not often confrontational. These are not inquisitions. (Osaka’s press conferences, ironically, are often singularly lively and fun.) But they are not a perfect format. There are sometimes inane and insensitive and inappropriate questions. And we ought to examine whether there are tweaks here. This Jonathan Liew column is worth your time.

• The avoid-ability of all this cannot be…well, avoided. Osaka could have handled this differently. Even she had essentially conceded that that dropping this on the eve of the tournament and effectively disparaging the media, was not the ideal process. (A Hall of Famer wonders, not unreasonably, she didn’t just quietly fail to attend the postmatch conference the day of her defeat, rather than make this pre-emptive strike.) After Osaka won her first match and accommodated an on-court interview request, the tournament did not need to escalate matters.

• A former player texted me: “Hope she’s ok. Pandemic I think hurt young people even more .... maybe contributing factor?” It’s funny I hadn’t before seen the pandemic referenced.

• A player has an issue with a league policy? In other sports there is a union to provide advocacy and dialogue. In the free-for-all that is tennis, the tournament’s reps come to a player’s practice and try to negotiate with her there (that actually happened over the weekend.) Novak Djokovic was on to something.

• The one constituent that distinguished itself: the players. They expressed empathy for Osaka, without buying her premise or taking an easy opportunity to media-bash. Many—not least Nadal—framed the press conference as a win-win and some (Medvedev for one) even admitted to enjoying them.

• That the FFT held a “press conference” last night without taking follow-ups…that is next-level irony, even by tennis’ high standards.

• Social media is a toxic kiddie pool.

• Wrapped around the Osaka unpleasantness on Monday? Iga Swiatek played her best friend and the two dissected the match before walking off the court. Roger Federer, age 39, won his match, and looked a lot like Roger Federer. Serena Williams, age 39, won her match, and looked a lot like Serena Williams. Players conceded points in the spirit of fair play. Sofia Kenin proved she could win without her omnipresent father. Players engaged pleasantly with the fans and the media. (Here’s Federer, the anti-Popovich—note this is on court.) Let’s not dismiss the entire sport.

• Osaka will take time off, repair and come back. She will not be stigmatized. She will not have to prove herself to an owner. She will return to a tour, a fan base and—dramatically—a society that is growing increasingly aware of, sensitive to and conversant in mental health.

Mailbag

Hi Jon, Hope all is well. When the qualifiers were placed today, couldn't help but chuckle seeing Brooksby-Karatsev after your podcast in which you asked him if/how the Challenger guys are viewing Karatsev's success, etc. Joined him in press and he had no idea... didn't seem bothered by it at all.
—Andrew

• Hah thanks. Yes, we asked Brooksby—who was a strong guest, I thought—about Karatsev and whether he was an inspiration for current Challenger guys. For the record, Karatsev won in straights.

Hi Jon; I really feel terrible for Anisimova, she has not been the same since her father/coach passed away. Who’s her coach now? I wish some top coach would take her under his wing because she’s a very talented player. I know that it's a long road in a tennis career.
—Eric Bukzin, Manorville, Long Island

• Amen. She’s working with Andis Juška. In 2019, she started her major campaign reaching the fourth round of Australia (beating Sabalenka) and the semis in France. Her results haven’t approached that since and she might benefit from some time off, Ash Barty-syle, to reassess. More happily: she doesn’t turn 20 until the U.S. Open.

I enjoy watching Musetti. He seems to have great hands and a wonderful future. However, in Lyon he seemed to “mail it in” in the third set against Tsitsipas. Perhaps it's not indicative (he is only 19) but I hope it's not a character weakness. I HATE to see any athlete give up during competition. Your thoughts??
—Richie G.

• I noticed that, too. But I say cut generous slack here. One real benefit of the veterans: they know how to pace themselves and ration energy in best-of-five matches. One challenge to young players: they are still exploring their limits and their bodies. I suspect that, with a big event coming, Musetti didn’t want to jeopardize anything. And do note that he beat David Goffin in his first match.

Hey Jon: What is actually stopping Kyrgios from making a run at the NBA? He said he loves to play and vibe with teammates last week. It's like what you've always said: he loves team sports and the camaraderie. Lakers can use a sharpshooter. Is this a pipe dream or can this actually happen? It's one thing to shoot 40-footers in Bondi Beach, it's completely another when it's game seven in the conference finals, and you are triple covered.
—Deepak, New York

• Let’s be clear. Kyrgios loves basketball (who doesn’t) and can hold his own in a pick-up game. But he wouldn’t have started at my high school. Long as you brought him up, can we just start the 30 for 30 now? He’s outside the top 50, hasn’t played since Australia and, by his own admission, is not in optimal shape. I feel like we’re in a new phase. Initially, it was “he’s so talented; wait till he gets it together.” Then it was, “He can beat anyone on a given day. Too bad he’s not more professional.” Now, as he is closer to 30 than 20, it’s: “Can he salvage this thing?”

In the always anticipated and enjoyable seeding report for the French Open, you wrote under Aryna Sabalenka: "Potential story to follow; will events in Belarus—and potential calls for her to take a stand—provide a distraction.”

Originally I was going to ask why any tennis player needs to take a stand and does the media and press only ask for one when it is a topic of interest to them—in this case a journalist colleague being kidnapped. None of the Chinese players have been asked to take a stand on the Xinjiang internment camps of the Uyghurs nor has Ons Jabeur been grilled on Tunisia'a penal code related to homosexuality.

But in light of Naomi Osaka's withdrawal related to psychiatric health concerns related to depression and anxiety focused on the press conferences, is an examination of the expectations and questioning of the press need a review?

Players with a median age in early twenties have spent most of their lives focused on training for a sport often to the deficit of other aspects of development. Should the press and the players focus more on the tennis and respect players' limitations as far as taking stands on areas where they wish to remain silent for any number of reason?
—Ken Wells, Newport, Rhode Island

• Good question. I would submit that it’s fair game. If the last year has taught us anything it’s that athletes have opinions and views and platform and often WANT to be asked about (and heard on) matters others than sports. Working on the assumption athletes are just that—athlete who have spent their life training and have no other interest/expertise—takes us to a bad place.

Let’s be clear: the athlete is under zero obligation to answer these questions. Or any question for that matter. But asking a player from Belarus if they have comments about what is going on their country right now? Totally legit.

I think a lot of it comes down to phrasing. This is one of my issues with press conferences. The questions are something not professionally rendered. They come off accusatory. They are leading. They don’t give the respondent a chance to answer thoughtfully. But asking athletes if they want to weigh in on matters beyond break points converted and “size up your next opponent” and “tough day at the office, where did it go wrong?”….the more of the better, far as I’m concerned.

Any irony in the French Tennis Federation president not taking questions after reading a statement on Osaka. I always found Osaka not to be ready for the limelight even when she won majors. That being said, are daily press conferences really necessary for top players?
—@casobserver2013

• They’re not daily. They’re after matches. And any player can be requested.

Hi Jon. An unusual question here. My son is the captain of his high school tennis team. Usually at the end of the season there is a banquet at one of the local clubs. Because of COVID, however, we are limiting crowd size and indoors gatherings, so I am hosting the “banquet” in my back yard for the players only. Can you suggest a typical food item that I can include on the menu for each of the slams? Wimbledon of course would be strawberries and cream. But what about the others?
—Anna, Longmeadow, Mass.

• Lots of good answers:

Australian Open: vegemite, shrimp on a barbie, Outback steakhouse.

French Open: croissants, pain au chocolat, onion soup, crepes

U.S. Open: lobster rolls, virgin Honey Deuce, hot dogs, chicken tenders dipped in Pepsi,

(We laughed and nodded in resigned agreement with @lemon_swizzle who noted: “LOL . . . if you're feeding teenage boys, go for volume over theme. They won't appreciate it. Order pizzas and a sheet cake from the grocery store, supplement with chips and dip.”

Hey Jon, so awesome to see you guys back on site in France for the Open. Has the “shaking hands with the chair umpire after the match” tradition completely died? A lot of matches I’ve watched recently, the players didn’t even acknowledge the chair umpire at the end. Glad to see the ball kids not handling towels anymore, and I understand precautions given the times we live in, but there’s something to good sportsmanship in tennis in recognizing the chair.
—David Bloom, Upstate NY

• I’ve seen general recognition and eye contract but miss the handshake as well.

I guess the people at Roland Garros don't read the Mailbag: Women's draw: Iga and Ash on collision course.

"Two defending champions," they say.
—Srikanth

• If come into a major with a seven-match win streak at aforementioned major, you are defending champ?

ENJOY THE NEXT WEEK OF MATCHES, EVERYONE!