When Naomi Osaka bravely withdrew from the 2021 French Open to focus on her mental health, it caused ripples in the tennis world and evoked an avalanche of well-wishes.
Among the most sympathetic and genuine reactions was that of Serena Williams, who identified with what Osaka had been through. Williams also expressed solidarity with the young star in an emotional post-match interview.
Serena Williams Last Appeared in the French Open in 2021
Osaka, who was a four-time Grand Slam winner at the time, withdrew from Roland Garros after missing obligatory press meetings for mental health issues. She had earlier said that post-match media appearances caused ‘huge waves of anxiety’ and disclosed that she’d been suffering from “long bouts of depression” since her victory in the 2018 U.S. Open.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam titleholder, reacted with sympathy after her first-round win over Irina-Camelia Begu. Addressing the media, she stated:
“I’ve been in that position, too. I’ve definitely had opportunities to talk to people, kind of get things off my chest that I can’t necessarily talk to anyone in my family or anyone that I know. For me, it’s important to have awareness and make that step.”
Later, when questioned during her press conference about Osaka’s announcement, the American said, “I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it’s like.”
Osaka’s withdrawal came after she was fined $15,000 for skipping the press conference after her first-round victory against Patricia Maria Tig. Tournament authorities threatened her with further punishments and even expulsion if she didn’t fulfill her media commitments.
Instead of emerging as a distraction, Osaka decided to withdraw before her second-round game against Ana Bogdan, saying that she did not want her circumstances to distract the tournament or her fellow competitors.
Seventh seed Williams made it to the fourth round of the tournament, winning against Mihaela Buzărnescu and Danielle Collins before losing to Elena Rybakina in straight sets.
When Naomi Osaka Opened Up About Her French Open Media Boycott and Mental Health Battle
Osaka expressed her appreciation for journalists while revisiting the 2021 press conference dispute with French Open officials. Speaking during a 2023 interview on Mountaintop Conversations, Osaka reflected on how she handled media interactions at the time.
“Growing up in this interview world, I have a very open character so I’m very… Sometimes I say stuff that I shouldn’t say in the press room, and it often gets me into trouble,” she said.
“But it’s because I like journalists, I don’t think they know this, but I like talking to them and I like clearing their questions, and for me, it’s cool that someone cares enough about me to ask me questions like that,” Osaka added.
The Japanese tennis player also discussed life in the spotlight and looked back on the controversy that unfolded at Roland Garros.
“But slowly as I started becoming more known, there have been people that I feel their energy is to exploit. So I felt myself becoming more closed-off and I felt my character changing and I didn’t really like that,” Osaka said.
“So at this point when I was thinking ‘I need to take a break, but I can’t take a break from it because then I’ll get fined’. But then I thought I’d rather take the fine than go through that with my energy,” she concluded.
