Naomi Osaka’s French Open Withdrawal
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the 2021 French Open due to being pressured to attend press conferences when she suffers from social anxiety. I applaud Naomi for her courage to withdraw, but think this is an important moment for sporting associations to take a hard look at their policies around mental health and media, particularly as we are finishing the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. Naomi was physically and mentally able to compete and deserved to compete.
The upside here is that although it is very common, social anxiety is very treatable – I discuss some of the dynamics of social anxiety in this video for those who may also be suffering with social anxiety. My sincere hope is that Naomi can get the help she needs. For more information on the concepts I discuss, see my other videos below: