NAOMI OSAKA GETS VERY REAL
She Bravely Puts Her Mental Health First
Everyone goes through struggles. The problem is the more eyes you have on you, the less empathy you receive. That elevates when you have the publicity of an athlete in America; a place where your celebrity is held under high regard and your fans hang on to any action you may take.
That displeasure has now fallen on tennis star Naomi Osaka, who after her withdrawal from the French Open, was slapped with a $15,000 fine by The Grand Slam tournaments. With her future eligibility for the competition, she left completely, expressing her thoughts on Instagram.
With over 800,000 likes and counting, the star was given support from fellow athletes, celebs, and regular fans alike.
From Will Smith to former adversary Coco Gauff, there was a voice in support.
Yet her actions weren’t fully embraced with sympathy, as portions of the media world cautioned that her absence could and would be detrimental to the workers in sports media.
These issues aren’t new for athletes in sports; Michael Jordan’s mental wear and tear were well-documented in the 2020 Last Dance series as he entered his first retirement in 1993 and his second one in 98’.
Mike Tyson’s sudden rise to fame put him on such a pedestal that few felt obligated to take into account that his success was quick, and was given to a then-troubled teenager. In some ways, lack of social interaction gave the famous a sense of isolation that gave people a sense of inferiority that, with transparency today, we see that the unshakable athlete is a fallacy.
They hurt and fear just like the next; they just have more eyes to account for.
One of Osaka’s biggest supporters from her post, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, has become the lead man in basketball for mental awareness.
A Vice-President of the NBA Players Association, Irving was at the thick of the “will we/won’t we play” discussion in response to #blm. And while he had his supporters, members of the media were critical of Irving’s stance, stating that he was irrational in not having a plan beyond the hardwood. Irving, given his questionable responses to the media in the past, was highlighted as the outcast, despite many wanting to prioritize social issues and using their celebrity to reinforce that message.
The star has since had many hiatuses during the recent 20-21 campaign. Citing his mental health, the star has had his battles dating back to his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers, alongside Kevin Love, who too suffered his mental issues in that span.
The trials of mental health aren’t limited to a sport, social or economic class. The hope is, more athletes will use their voice, and we the spectators will get used to listening.
