Naomi Osaka had a lot of issues in 2021 that kept her off the court for the majority of the year and Dmitry Tursunov gave his opinion on the matter.
The Russian tennis coach emerged in the spotlight in the world of tennis after turning around the career of Anett Kontaveit in a dramatic fashion. Since taking over as her coach he saw Konteveit become one of the best tennis players in the world in the final two months of the season. The Estonian won a couple of events booking a spot at the WTA Finals as well.
Speaking on Osaka and her struggles with mental health that started at the French Open, Tursunov said:
"It seems to me that she was not ready for the responsibility that fell on her. After
all, many perceived Osaka as a billboard - and in addition, she
actively supported various social movements. At the same time, in
addition to performing in public, she also needed to train and rest.
It's hard when you have a photo session or a mandatory meeting with a
sponsor instead of recovery."
Speaking to Vedomosti Sport, Tursunov further said:
"You feel that you are choking, you are being pulled into a funnel, from which you simply cannot get out. By the way, she tried to break the chain - she refused to be interviewed at Roland Garros. But the interview is the responsibility of the players."
Tursunov finished off by explaining that she will learn to deal with it over time and become even better. It certainly looks like it as Osaka already traveled to Australia to get ready for the start of the new season. She is the defending Australian Open champion.
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