Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open highlights how prioritizing mental wellness is important.
In new documentary series on Naomi Osaka, she said no one knows how many sacrifices I have to take.
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka lighted flame at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and had gotten through French Open withdrawal. She talked about her experience in defeating mental disorders, calling the public to pay attention to athlete’s mental health issues.
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In May, four-time Grand Slam tournament winner had won the first round of the French Open. Because of depression, she refused to accept the press conference. Immediately, she was warned if she does not take her duty for the interview.
She decided to withdraw from the French Open to protect her mental health. It shocked lots of people, with both voices of encouragement and criticism. Until July, she became the cover of Time magazine and officially telling the public why she withdraws from the match.
It’s O.K. Not to Be O.K.
She wrote an essay “It’s O.K. Not to Be O.K. ” on TIME magazine, said I think we can almost universally agree that each of us is a human being and subject to feelings and emotions.
As a tennis star, she bore lots of expectations from sponsors and fans in every match. Also mentioned she is not a natural public speaker, and getting huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media.
Naomi Osaka told her honestly when she playing like a robot. Every match she is punching in and out. But her punching in is winning the match.
No one likes the feeling of losing, even the professional player.
However, when questions in the conference are more offensive, even making someone feel more depressed and anxious. Naomi Osaka pointed the dilemma between the player and the organizers of the Grand Slam. Can athletes refuse to be interviewed?
After supporting Black Lives Matter, she stands out for athlete’s mental health!
Naomi Osaka emphasized public should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions.
After supporting Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate, she actively advocates for the mental health of athletes. In the 2020 US Open, she was wearing a mask printed with the names of 7 black people, who were killed by the police, for standing with the black community.
Why has she done that in court？ As an elite athlete, she is the fewer ones, using her influence to stand for racial justice. And it’s time to have a dialogue in a white-dominated sport.
She is Black, Asian and female, may have contended with an even greater sense of vulnerability this past year, in light of the Black Lives Matter protests and the increased violence against Asian Americans.
Studies have shown that individuals suffer from vicarious trauma when members of their group are targeted and discriminated against. Additionally, the complexity is the fact that the norms in Osaka’s native Japanese culture frown upon speaking out, which could exacerbate anxiety and vulnerability.
Recently, She talked honestly about her introverted personality, not loving to speak to the public. But she always tried to speak out for the right thing, and that often made her bear lots of anxiety for the price.
Become a mental health advocate and try to eliminate the stigma of mental illness!
“An athlete’s mental health needs are just as important as their physical health needs,” said Rosemary Purcell, a professor at the Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne.
‘’Especially, professional athletes at the peak of their sports career. “ Purcell said. Concerning the mental health of athletes is also of less concern to the public.
She still explained that elite athletes can’t have normal social activity, and at the same time they are more subject to strict external scrutiny and pressure from all walks of life. Society expects to see heroic athletes but believes that they should not openly confide in their fragility.
However, mental health issues are often ignored by the public and easily stigmatized. Approximately 20% of adults, nearly 47 million people suffered from mental disorders in the United States. The prevalence of mental illness is higher among females than males, in part due to greater social and economic difficulties that women face.
In the past year, surveys have found that 42% of adults in the United States have symptoms of anxiety or depression. That number is six times of 2019. Seriously, mental health and stigmatization appeared mostly in minority groups.
For a long time, the public tended to believe that people with mental illness should overcome these problems by themselves. There are many causes behind the disorders, which cannot be recovered by themselves. It’s about work with family, society, and others.
After Naomi Osaka's withdrawal, it aroused the public's attention about the mental health of the workplace. About half of the workers in the United States, who worried about discussing mental health issues in the workplace, and fear that they will have a negative impact if they ask for help.
It also allows the outside world and the Grand Slam organizers to face the mental health issues of elite athletes and trying to eliminate the stigma of mental illness.
