Naomi Osaka refusing to speak to the media - Is she right or wrong?

[Bigga]

She has qualified by her world ranking which gives her the right to enter grand slam tournaments where you are given the chance to earn lots of cash and more ranking points, as part of the tournament rules she has to fulfil her media duties, don’t like the rules, don’t enter or continue to rack up 16k fines per round for lack of media duties.

Well, she's opted for the latter, so she hasn't broken any rules.

She's accepted the fines.

 

[SWP's back]

She is required to fulfil her contractual obligations.
If she does not like those obligations don’t enter the tournament.

Literally the only post needed in this thread after the original post.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

If I were an opponent of hers, that sort of thing would give me added confidence I could beat her because she is displaying a weak mentality.

 

[SWP's back]

Well, she's opted for the latter, so she hasn't broken any rules.

She's accepted the fines.

And the next step may be expulsion from the tournament.

 

[Bigga]

And the next step may be expulsion from the tournament.

Maybe. Depends on how the WTA want to play it. She has millions anyway, it's not as if she's an unknown as she is fairly unique being a Black Japanese born athlete.

The WTA could turn her into a female Kaepernick and so the Tennis Federation have a fight on their hands, when they could find a compromise.

Osaka doesn't own this. This is in hands of the WTA/ Tennis Fed on how to protect its players.

 

[kaz7]

Having a microphone in your face secs after the game is shit , especially if you lose , the media like to see tears , it sells , fuck them, she is in the right . Living in the public eye is not easy , scummy media every where

 

[chesterbells]

Naomi Osaka is the highest earning female athlete in the world and she’s refusing to do any media interviews at all at the French Open because she says she feels that the said interviews are negative experiences which have an effect on her mental health and she just doesn’t need that in her life any more.
Is it part of her job as an elite athlete to tow the line and continue to take part in media interviews which she feels are making her ill or should she be allowed to say she’s had enough of it all and kick the media into touch?
Is she right or wrong to be trying to protect her own mental health?
I personally think she’s right but what does everybody else think?

Good post. Can see both sides here.

One thing I would say is that those post match interviews may well be part of the ‘package’... but they shouldn’t be, because they offer sweet fa in terms of insight. Giving what is it, 8 interviews across the fortnight if you go all the way, absolutely pointless. I can’t think of any sport where I would enjoy it less if we didn’t have a post match interview. Certainly wouldn’t bother me if we never heard from a city player after the game. Let the manager do 1 interview maybe, via the club website, then leave it. Let the others feed ofF that. In this country and around the world the sports media has become far too overdeveloped, and it’s not needed and it’s arguably unhealthy. How can even the best journalist in the world keep coming up with different, thought provoking or worthwhile questions every time (along with all the other journalists at the press conference)? Answer, they can’t.
How can the athletes keep coming up with worthwhile things to say, that aren’t meaningless sound bites? Answer, they can’t.
The best writers will still be able to offer analysis of their sports, and do the odd long form pre planned interview, but as for post-match, scrap ‘em.

 

[Barcon]

Is she a golfer?

 

[Bigga]

Is she a golfer?

No, but I guess there are different types of balls she like to give a good forceful crack to...

 

[crooky]

Is she a golfer?

One wood know if they putt in the effort to read a few replies.