18-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic says speaking to the media after a match is ‘part of life on the Tour’ as he stops short of endorsing Naomi Osaka’s decision to skip all press conferences at the French Open.
Osaka, who is currently ranked No.2 in the world, confirmed earlier this week that she will not be speaking to journalists during the Grand Slam due to ‘mental health concerns.’ In a statement the Japanese star said she is ‘not going to subject herself’ to questions which may bring doubt into her mind. Osaka goes on to say that she has seen incidents when people have ‘no regards to an athlete’s mental health.’
Questioned about the decision following his quarter-final match at the Belgrade Open on Thursday, Djokovic said his fellow player “probably [had] her reasons why” and acknowledged that sometimes press conferences can be an unpleasant experience. Although he didn’t go as far as supporting the move. Until the French Open this year, no players had ever pledged to not fulfil their media commitments at a Grand Slam.
“I understand that press conferences sometimes can be very unpleasant,” Djokovic told reporters.
“And it’s not something that you enjoy, always, you know, especially if you lose a match or something like this.
“But it is part of the sport and part of your life on the tour. This is something we have to do, otherwise, we will get fined.
“I mean, that’s at least the case on the men’s side. I don’t know about the rules on the women’s side. So that’s all I can say.
The reaction of the Serbian star is considerably diplomatic when compared to that of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Gilles Moretton. Moretton has blasted Osaka for her boycott which he has deemed as unacceptable. He argues that media commitments provide a key role in promoting the sport.
“It is a phenomenal error and it shows to what extent it is necessary to have strong governance,” he said.
“What is happening is not, in my opinion, acceptable. It is tennis we want to promote.”
Osaka is one of the most high-profile athletes in the world of sport. Sportico has recently reported that she has made $55.2M in earnings over a 12-month period which is a record for a female athlete. She has endorsement deals with the likes of Tag Heuer, Levi’s and Luis Vuitton.
As a result of her boycott, the 23-year-old could be fined up to $20,000 for every post-match press conference she misses.
