Naomi Osaka Was Fined & Warned Following Not Speaking To Press at French Open 2021

Naomi Osaka deciding not to do press for the 2021 French Open has come with a price tag.

The 23-year-old athlete made the announcement that she would not be doing press for this tournament just days ago, citing her mental health.

“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athlete’s 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 wrote on social media.

Now, tournament organizers at Roland Garros, have given Naomi a fine for her actions.

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According to multiple reports, Naomi is being fined $15,000 and has been issued a warning of more substantial fines and even suspension could be in her future.

Organizers are reportedly frustrated in the situation and relayed that the French Open management team said they “tried unsuccessfully to speak with her to check on her well-being, understand the specifics of her issue and what might be done to address it on site,” according to CBS Sports.

Here’s what the leaders of the Grand Slam tennis events wrote in a statement:

“We want to underline that rules are in place to ensure all players are treated exactly the same, no matter their stature, beliefs or achievement. As a sport there is nothing more important than ensuring no player has an unfair advantage over another, which unfortunately is the case in this situation if one player refuses to dedicate time to participate in media commitments while the others all honour their commitments.”

They added that “we individually and collectively have significant resources dedicated to player well-being. In order to continue to improve, however, we need engagement from the players to understand their perspective and find ways to improve their experiences.”

They also emphasized the importance of athletes speaking to the media, and that these press opportunities are to “allow both the players and the media to share their perspective and for the players to tell their story.”

Naomi participated in her first match on Sunday (May 30) and won over Patricia Maria Tig.

20+ pictures of Naomi Osaka during her first match at the 2021 French Open…