2 Years After French Open Controversy, Pregnant Naomi Osaka Nails Exactly Why She Needed Her Current Break – ‘It Sort Of Made Me Remember…’

Tennis stars like Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, and Aryna Sabalenka did not ever shy away from expressing their mental health issues. Serena and Stephens even contribute their time and money to charities for maternal and mental health. Naomi Osaka is no less.

The Japanese star’s Instagram account is filled with positivity, hope, and gratitude. She makes sure to mention the things she is happy and grateful for. Osaka shares her happiness and optimism with the world whenever she can.

Osaka announced the pregnancy in early January this year and took an indefinite break from professional play. In a recent interview, she addressed a lot of important questions. Let’s find out more.

Achievements come with responsibilities, and Osaka’s case is no different

In a YouTube interview with Luvvie Ajayi for the ‘Hana Kuma’ channel, Naomi Osaka was invited as the first guest. The four-time Grand Slam winner spoke about her future plans, the changes she felt in herself, and how she is handling all the pressure.

Ajayi dictated all the firsts that Osaka had achieved and then asked how she handles so much pressure.

The former number one smiled and revealed that the break she is taking is helping her in many ways. The mommy-to-be answered, “Yeah, um, honestly, I think this year, like, this break that I am taking has been really important for me because it sort of made me remember who I am. There’s a lot of things that happened over the past. Like three years, um, since, like, the French Open.”  

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She revealed how that made her feel (the incident at the French Open in 2021) and what she did to return to a neutral state.

Naomi Osaka revealed how the incident at Roland Garros 2021 made her feel

Addressing the controversy that erupted at the French Open two years ago, Osaka said, “It just kind of made me a little angry inside, and I felt like I was changing a lot. Like my, the energy that I exude. So, it’s been nice to kind of just center myself and remember all the things that are important to me.”

Osaka skipped a post-match press conference after winning her first round in the 2021 Roland Garros. She said the negative questions about her play affected her mental health. However, skipping the presser did not sit well with the authorities.

They slapped a fine of $15,000 on her, upon which the two-time Australian Open winner withdrew from the tournament. She released a statement on her Instagram explaining her anxiety while talking to the press.

Legends like Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova lauded her decision of voicing out mental health issues. They took to their respective Twitter accounts to extend their support to Osaka and asked the others to do the same.

Following this, the ‘French Tennis Federation’ this year provided the players with online bodyguards to keep all the negative content away from the players. The Japanese champion’s stance has indeed helped all the WTA players safeguard their online life, no two ways about it.

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