Last week, Naomi Osaka announced that she would not be doing any press at the French Open, happening now through June 13 in Paris, in an effort to protect her mental health.
“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health, and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” the tennis champion tweeted on Wednesday. “I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity.”
Well, she was right about the “considerable amount that I get fined” part!
In a joint statement released Sunday from the international organizations behind the Grand Slam tournaments, it was announced that Osaka now faces $15,000 in fines for refusing “to honor her contractual media obligations,” NBC News reports.
The statement goes on to say that “the mental health of players competing in our tournaments and on the Tours is of the utmost importance to the Grand Slams,” which is why you’re threatening them with insane fines?? Osaka definitely made the right decision not to trust these clowns over herself when it comes to her personal well-being.