Naomi Osaka, the number two ranked woman in tennis and the highest-paid female athlete in the world, announced on social media last week that she was skipping all news conferences during the French Open to protect her mental health.
She wrote, “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. We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m just not going to subject myself to people that doubt me.” She went on to say that the mentality of telling people to “do press or be fined” and subsequently (or really in parallel) ignoring athlete mental health entirely is laughable. She expressed her hope that the amount she ultimately would get fined for not doing press would be donated to a mental health charity.
Since that statement, however, Osaka entered a power struggle with tournament officials to maintain her boundaries. After she didn’t participate in the mandatory news conference following her first-round win on Sunday, she was fined $15,000. This she expected, and was willing to pay, but a fine was apparently not enough. In a statement signed by the heads of all four Grand Slam tournaments—Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the U.S. Open, and the French Open—Osaka was warned that if she continued to not talk to the media, she could face suspension from future Grand Slam tournaments and even harsher penalties. Instead, she withdrew from the tournament entirely—a move that surprised officials (and fans alike).
In her statement explaining her decision, Osaka wrote that she never wanted to be a “distraction,” but the situation was different than she “ever imagined or intended.” She described a long history of depression and social anxiety and said she now planned to take time away from “the court.” In standing up for her mental health, Osaka inspired people all over the world to evaluate their own boundaries, especially in the workplace.
Nina Vasan, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Real and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine, explained, “Naomi is already a role model to so many for her talent, hard work, and sportsmanship. Now she is modeling the incredible strength it takes to come forward and talk openly about your own mental health.” Dr. Vasan further noted that Osaka’s story shows that boundaries are critical, especially when it comes to prioritizing your own health at work. She adds, “She’s helping bring about a long overdue conversation on how workplaces need to be much more supportive of mental health.”
In fact, Osaka’s power extended far beyond the individual, and inspired businesses to take a stand, too. Perhaps the boldest move was by the company behind the popular meditation and mindfulness app CALM. They announced they would do what tournament officials wouldn’t— follow through on Osaka’s initial request for her fine to be donated to charity. Not only would they pay the fine for any player who planned on opting out of media appearances for mental health reasons during the 2021 Grand Slam, but they also would match it with a $15,000 donation to the French youth sports charity Laureus. Talk about putting your money where your mission is.
A spokesperson for CALM explained their decision, “We stand with and support Naomi’s courageous and vulnerable decision to prioritize herself & her mental health. Mental health is health, and should be treated as such. If a player had a physical injury, they wouldn’t be required to do press, so why don’t we have the same standard with players’ mental health? It’s time we end the stigmatization of prioritizing your mental health, and we hope our donation to Laureus Sport will support those efforts through sport in children & young people.”
Jada Hart, a Division I tennis player and VIS creator at Voice in Sport, a community for girls and women in sports that offers access to mental health resources, was impressed with CALM’s stance. As a tennis player who has had her own experiences with anxiety in her career, she emphasized, “Athletes should be given the space to prioritize their mental health. As a company that supports mental health through mindfulness meditation, it is important that companies like CALM are doing what they can to support their athletes when they are not in the best state. [Paying the fines] is a start to help destigmatize mental health, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done.” For example, in her own work with Voice in Sport she is helping to make sure that athletes are provided with the resources to seek help when needed.
CALM’s decision was also simply good business. Many on social media pointed out that the decision was smart and strategic for the company (as was their campaign during the election). But, good marketing can still be a good idea that helps people. One user, Sarah Weissman, wrote, “I don’t care if this is just for PR reasons, this rocks.”
And, CALM was not alone supporting Osaka in the corporate world. Her sponsors have openly backed her decision from Mastercard to Nissan. Nike, for example, recognized her “courage” and the watchmaker TAG Heuer added that it supported its ambassadors "in triumph but also during challenging periods."
By standing up for mental health and boundaries with Osaka, companies are showing that they can value mental health and still have value themselves. Dr. Vasan explains, “Many Americans spend the vast majority of their waking hours in the workplace. For companies to speak out and take action is not only admirable, it’s necessary. When we laud Naomi for her ability to prioritize her own mental wellbeing above her work, we're giving all employees permission to do the same.”
Hart adds that she thinks the business world definitely had a role in helping with the mental health stigma in athletics. She points out that athletes are humans and not robots and can’t possibly be their best at all times. They need to be given space and time for self care or to see a professional when they need it. She adds, “Mental health should not be seen as a weakness. For Naomi to be vulnerable to share her mental health state is something we need more of. It will take companies and the media to be more understanding, accepting, and knowledgeable about mental health.”
The spokesperson for CALM agreed with Hart and added that they hope to change the narrative about mental health moving forward and, perhaps, inspire others to join with them. They said, “Mental health is health. The more we foster a welcoming dialogue about our collective experiences, the more “normal” it becomes. We encourage all companies to join us in championing mental health as health.”
If individuals learn to prioritize their own mental health in the workplace, and workplaces support that decision, including financially, the world could be a much better place for people with invisible disabilities like mental illness. Perhaps, that is one reason why Michael Phelps, who has been vocal about his own mental health struggles thought Osaka’s decision might be just the catalyst we need, at just the right time. He said, “This really could be an even bigger break through for the mental health world...This is something that I think really could help a lot of people.”
