Roland Garros: Naomi Osaka threatens to exempt press conferences if they continue to boycott

World number two Naomi Osaka was fined $ 15,000 for refusing to attend a press conference in Roland Garros on Sunday, and organizers said she would be disqualified if she did so again.

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“Naomi Osaka chose not to honor her contractual responsibilities to the media today (Sunday), so the Roland-Garros supervisor fined her $ 15,000,” the Roland-Garros press release, co-signed by the organizers of four Grand Slam tournaments, said.

“We warned Naomi Osaka that if she neglected her media responsibilities during the tournament, she would face further consequences for violating the Code of Conduct. .S Grand Slam tournaments, ”the statement continued.

Osaka announced Wednesday that it intends to refuse press conferences at Roland Garros to protect its mental health.

“If the authorities tell us, ‘Go to a meeting or you’ll be fine,’ and ignore the mental health of the athletes at the center, I like to laugh at it,” she wrote on social media.

“Following these statements, Roland-Garros teams were asked to review his position and try to talk to him to ensure his well-being, to understand his particular difficulties and to see what can be done in place to help,” the text of the authorities insisted, warning the Japanese of the consequences of her decision.

In their press release on Sunday, the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open stressed their desire to help players in distress, especially as the pandemic has greatly complicated their way of life.

“The mental health of the players involved in our tournaments and tours is of paramount importance to the Grand Slams. Individually and collectively, we dedicate important resources to the well-being of our players. To continue to improve the situation, we need the commitment of the players,” the text underlined.