PARIS – Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the French Open, after revealing her battle with depression and anxiety, has cast a harsh light on the mental health of the sport’s superstars with one expert even accusing the media of “voyeurism”.
The 23-year-old world number two, and four-time major winner, said she will now take a break from tennis, putting her participation at Wimbledon and her home Olympics at risk.
Osaka was fined $15,000 and threatened with disqualification from Roland Garros after she refused to honour mandatory media commitments.
She claims they are detrimental to her mental health and likened the traditional post-match news conference to “kicking people when they’re down”.
“There’s a sense of…
