Patrick McEnroe and Billie Jean King weigh in on Naomi Osaka press fiasco

Naomi Osaka still refuses to talk to the media at the French Open despite being warned of harsher penalties if she continued to do so.

The 23-year-old created a lot of drama at the Roland Garros after announcing a couple of days ahead of the event that she would be skipping press conferences. Her reasoning was to preserve her own mental health and raise awareness about athletes mental health.

A fiasco soon ensued as many players were asked about their opinions with the majority respecting her stance but underlining the need to do it. Roland Garros released a statement issuing a fine after her 1st round match and warning that if the behaviour continues harsher penalties might follow.

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Osaka doubled down on her decision on Sunday, tweeting: 'Anger is a lack of understanding. change makes people uncomfortable.' 1989 French Open doubles champion Patrick McEnroe said:

"Quite frankly, I was surprised initially to see her take this stance although she has been at the forefront of other very important issues - the Black Lives Matter issues last summer. She is using her platform to bring awareness to certain issues, very important ones - mental health is an incredibly important topic. I think there may have been a few missteps along the way from Naomi and her team, at looking at how this was going to play out."

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Naomi Osaka to skip press conferences during Roland Garros, citing mental health considerations

Another prominent tennis figure who weighed in on the matter is Billie Jean King who said:

"I fully admire and respect what Naomi is doing with her platform, so I am a little torn as I try to learn from both sides of the situation. While it's important that everyone has the right to speak their truth, I have always believed that as professional athletes we have a responsibility to make ourselves available to the media."

King further added:

"In our day, without the press, nobody would have known who we are or what we thought. There is no question they helped build and grow our sport to what it is today."

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anger is a lack of understanding. change makes people uncomfortable.

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