Superstar athlete and tennis wunderkind Naomi Osaka, 23, continued her winning streak at the French Open by securing victory in the first round, but that enviable start has been overshadowed by the burgeoning activist’s daring moves off the court.
Osaka made a public announcement regarding her decision not to participate in press conferences at this year’s French Open, as a necessary form of self-care, based on the often contentious stance between vulnerable players and opportunistic journalists, eager to take advantage of that mentally-drained energy.
The part where Osaka mentions the devastation of watching fellow elite athletes succumb to the unfair pressure of enduring the grueling nature of the press, during the painful experience of a bitter loss, instantly transports me to the heartbreaking viral clip of Serena Williams, showcasing human instincts of not only contending with a major setback, but also the pressure of holding it together for glaring trolls.
