In a recent episode of the podcast “Mountaintop Conversations with Saysh,” tennis superstar Naomi Osaka opened up about a torrid phase in her life, where tears flowed like a raging river. Despite cementing herself as the spokesperson for mental health in tennis, Osaka revealed that behind her victories and triumphs, she battled with depression and a sense of purposelessness.

This candid conversation sheds light on the human side of a sports icon, inspiring others to understand and address their mental well-being.

Naomi Osaka unveils the hidden pressures of athletes

Osaka shared her first experience with overwhelming sadness and depression after her triumph at Indian Wells and subsequent events. Her mother’s retirement, a cherished dream for her, left her questioning her life’s purpose. Vulnerably, she even considered leaving tennis behind for a simpler life on a farm. During a match in Charleston, tears streaming down her face, she found herself secretly wishing her opponent would defeat her, freeing her from the pressures of the game.

In the Podcast, Osaka opened up about this phase of her life, stating, “the first moment, I felt like really depressed and sad, was after I won Indian Wells the first time and went to Miami. And then I went to Charleston. And I was winning. And then I just woke up one day, and I was thinking to myself, like, because my mom retired after I won Indian Wells. And for me, that was one of my biggest goals in my life. I was like, I’ve seen my mom wake up at four in the morning to go to work. I hope one day I can, like, let her not work anymore. Yeah. So then I just woke up one day in Charleston before one of my matches, and I was just thinking, like, what is the point of my life? And I was thinking, should I just go buy a farm and grow crops, and I know that’s like the, like, primitive-ish life. But I’m wondering if that kid like, you know, sparks something in me again, and sitting then, but then I had to go play my match.” But this wasn’t the end of her difficult phase.

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In the same podcast, Osaka also talked about her career ending assumption after having a child.

Osaka’s call-to-action on embracing mental well-being

Osaka continued to face difficulties as she experienced emotional turmoil once again after winning the US Open and a tournament in Beijing. While playing in a tournament in China, she felt overwhelmed with sadness and uncertainty about why she was feeling this way. Even though she didn’t fully understand or know how to resolve these emotions, it was after her second Australian Open win that she finally recognized she couldn’t ignore them anymore.

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Quoting Osaka’s determination to address her mental health, she said, “And then it happened again, after I won the US Open and Beijing. And I was just in China, the same thing I was in China, I was hoping this girl would beat me and I was crying on the court and whatever. And then I just kind of thought to myself, like, I don’t know what this feeling is, I don’t know how to describe it. And I also don’t know how to fix it. So I guess I’m gonna have to live with it for the rest of my life. And then it got to a point after I won the Australian Open for the second time, and I’m like, I, I need to do something about it. Because I don’t want to keep living this way.”

Naomi Osaka’s openness offers valuable lessons about the challenges athletes face and the importance of mental well-being. Her bravery in sharing her struggles inspires others to address their own mental health battles, breaking the stigma surrounding the topic and encouraging seeking help during difficult moments.

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