Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will not take questions from the press at this year's French Open, saying the nature of news conferences puts an undue burden on players' mental health.
"I'm writing this to say I'm not going to do any press during Roland Garros," the Japanese tweets. "I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes' mental health, and this rings 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."
Osaka adds that expecting players to answer questions after losses amounts to "kicking a person while they're down".
The world No.2 says the decision is "nothing personal" against the tournament or a couple of journalists she has friendly relationships with and she hopes tournaments would reconsider their approach.
She hopes the "considerable amount" that she expects to be fined will go towards a mental health charity.
Osaka has also tweeted a video of former Seattle Seahawks NFL running back Marshawn Lynch famously repeating the line "I'm just here so I won't get fined" at a pre-Super Bowl press conference in 2015.
In the past, Osaka has used her platform and considerable press attention to highlight issues of police violence and racial inequality.
French Open qualifiers are underway and the tournament is due to end on June 13.
Reuters
