Naomi Osaka's emotional literacy could transform sport's discussion of mental health
Painfully shy and with a mouth that moves so little it’s as if she’s impersonating a ventriloquist, Naomi Osaka is an unlikely advocate. In fact were it up to her, Osaka would probably eschew her media commitments and luxuriate in playing her favourite video games instead.
Yet over the last year, Osaka, the No. 1 ranked tennis player who in press conferences can make a rabbit looking at headlights appear positively self-assured, has become a beacon for emotional literacy and mental health awareness.
Judged by the numbers alone, the last 12 months has been a halcyon period for the Japanese Osaka, who grew up in America and has a Haitian father. Flying up the rankings from No. 72 to the top spot and picking up two grand slams along the way, Osaka, still only 21, is ostensibly living the dream.
Osaka has found the journey difficult, however, and has been startlingly open in describing her struggles - especially over the last week in the wake of her shock split from coach Sascha Bajin. Having first of all explained that she ended the hugely successful partnership with Bajin because “I wouldn't put success over my happiness”, Osaka expanded on the theme after losing to Kristina Mladenovic in Dubai on Tuesday. Asked if she could block out the noise around her coaching split, Osaka responded. “I couldn’t. That’s the result. This match is the result of that.
“See, it’s a little bit hard because I feel like people are staring at me, and not like in a good way.” As she began to cry, Osaka added: “I don’t think I necessarily understand what position I’m in, in a way, because last year I wasn’t even anywhere close to this ranking. People didn’t pay attention to me. That’s something that I’m comfortable with.”
Such candidness tends to be the rule rather than exception for Osaka. Just a couple of days after defeating Serena Williams in that frazzling US Open final in September, Osaka said of the mental health challenges facing elite athletes: “You can easily get depressed. You think your whole world is over.” Last April, having recently won her biggest title to date at Indian Wells, Osaka revealed: “Yesterday I woke up and I was really depressed, but I don’t know why. Like, I’m so sad right now.”
Admissions like these are uncomfortable but potentially game-changing. Tennis has always had an awkward relationship with mental health, with players typically suppressing their concerns until it is too late. Andre Agassi is a salient example of this trend, opting to stay quiet until revealing all in his explosive autobiography Open where he compared the life of a tennis player to “solitary confinement”. A Telegraph investigation last year meanwhile revealed that Agassi was far from alone in struggling to cope with the demands of tour life.
But seeing a player of Osaka's standing speak with such honesty about her mental health will help normalise the discussion among tennis players and other athletes, as well as the legion of fans who idolise her. It may also reframe the view of players like Nick Kyrgios, whose difficulties have tended to be viewed primarily as a result of indolence rather than something more deep-rooted. The former view of Kyrgios may be accurate, but the more players like Osaka open up, the more they will be viewed as human beings rather than racket-wielding automatons.
When asked last year what tips Osaka would give to young athletes, she responded: “The only advice is, don’t look up to me.” The reality is that they could do far, far worse.
