Naomi Osaka

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

It IS part of the job.

Does it have to be? It IS part of the contract you sign to compete, though. If you want to get rid of dumb media questions, get together, and as a group negotiate different language into the contract.

Before, you know, sign it.

[Calvert98]

I think she likes the sport. Is young, and at first enjoyed the competing at the highest level, but it came quickly; now she is very much a global sports figure, and in particular the U.S. and Japan.

But she is a young girl, shy, with a likely mental illness of some type. You can just see it in her reaction and her eyes during those interviews - something is not right. The rules however are what they are. I hope she just takes a break for a while, re-groups and spends some normal time with family and friends, and gets the help she needs.

[Syd Thrift]

You see a lot of service ostriches on airplanes? I’ve literally never seen a service ostrich in any capacity.

[pilight]

When you think about it, it’s really odd to interrogate people in their workplace. Yes they’re entertainers, they get paid big bucks, it comes with the territory, etc. Most other entertainers don’t have reporters walking around their dressing rooms, and they also don’t have to answer a barrage of questions after every performance. We’re so accustomed to the sports world working this way it’s easy to forget how unusual it is.

[monkeyman576]

What's odd is making villians out of the people that are making you millionaires.

[Syd Thrift]

The bodies that are in control of the major tennis tournaments don’t need a great deal of help in becoming villains. In fact, this whole thing was kicked off by them getting together and threatening Osaka with being suspended from multiple tournaments if she didn’t comply here.

[monkeyman576]

If she would have brought up that she needs a mental health exception first rather than trying to make bad guys out of the media and the WTA then there would have never been an issue.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

What's odd is making villians out of the people that are making you millionaires.

I agree it's odd for the tournaments to be alienating the players by forcing them to do so much worthless media

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

If she would have brought up that she needs a mental health exception first rather than trying to make bad guys out of the media and the WTA then there would have never been an issue.

She didn’t say anything at all at first. People have been complaining that she should have brought up the social anxiety thing immediately but quite frankly that’s nobody’s business but her own. The French Open in turn could have spoken to her handlers and asked if there was anything in particular wrong or if they could make accommodations but no, they went straight in to colluding with the other big name tournaments and threatened her with sanctions or a suspension if she didn’t start showing up to the press conferences.

The bottom line there was, they treated her refusal to go like she was some, like entitled teenager who just didn’t feel like it instead of like a shareholder in the stake of the sport of tennis. Even if she did have non-substantial reasons, the French Open could have taken a couple of days to figure out what was going on, etc., before making their move. They didn’t and now they look appropriately villainous.

[Antonin]

Originally Posted by pilight

When you think about it, it’s really odd to interrogate people in their workplace. Yes they’re entertainers, they get paid big bucks, it comes with the territory, etc. Most other entertainers don’t have reporters walking around their dressing rooms, and they also don’t have to answer a barrage of questions after every performance. We’re so accustomed to the sports world working this way it’s easy to forget how unusual it is.

I agree. I think there's a difference between not doing media because you have anxiety issues and not doing media because you are an arrogant jerk.

She's not a jerk. I think she should be given her space.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

You see a lot of service ostriches on airplanes? I’ve literally never seen a service ostrich in any capacity.

A guess on my part. I'm kinda disappointed that an ostrich isn't on the list.

https://bestlifeonline.com/emotional-support-animals/