Former NFL Legend Tells Victoria Azarenka Why Millions Are Suffering the Same Way as Naomi Osaka Did

Naomi Osaka is among the elite few sportsmen and women who have found instant success at the highest levels. At only 24, she has already won four Grand Slam titles and reached the top spot in the world rankings. Despite making steady progress, she has struggled with her mental health numerous times.

Osaka has endured numerous traumatic experiences. The most recent one occurred in 2022 at Indian Wells, involving hecklers during her match against Veronika Kudermetova. Recently, NFL legend Brandon Marshall was having a conversation with two times Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka about Naomi Osaka and the struggles she had to go through as a player. 

Brandon Marshall speaks about the mental health issues of Naomi Osaka with Victoria Azarenka

Mental fatigue is something that every sportsman goes through in his life. Earlier this year, on September 16, 2022, Brandon Marshall was in a conversation with Victoria Azarenka on ‘Tennis Channel’. 

During the conversation, he also talked about Naomi Osaka and her mental struggles and stated that “So now, we become gladiators and we’re not supposed to show any signs of weakness. And to me, while we’re redefining what athlete is, to me, that is the athlete. Being vulnerable, being real, being transparent.”

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He further went on to add that “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.“

He also talked about how important it is to prioritize an athlete’s mental health, how therapy had a profound impact on his life, and why he wanted to dedicate himself to helping others. Osaka, on the other hand, has become a public figure representing the plight of elite athletes ever since she withdrew from the 2021 French Open. The reason for the withdrawal was her mental health concerns. 

Osaka seems to have overcome her struggles

Naomi Osaka’s disappointing start to the grass court season continued after she was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon with an injury. Some of Osaka’s supporters, encouraged by seeing her back in action, are anticipating a strong return from her.

However, there also appears to be a portion of her fanbase that is worried about her. On the 30th of July, Osaka took to Twitter to give them a sigh of relief. She wrote, “Just read my notes from this time last year…wow I’m basically a different person now lol.“

Her Instagram feed also shows signs of relief from her mental health struggles. She, as a player, needed time off to recuperate from her injuries before returning to the court. And all we can hope for is for her to continue with the same mindset.

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