You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Here’s a question? Why take a load of sponsorship money if your mental health is a priority? All that comes with exposure and obligations.
Different kettle of fish taking money from a racquet maker and turning up for a promo event or making video saying how good they are. Different when some numpty is saying 'why were you so s**t today?' just so some bottled water manufacturer gets some air time for their product as they've sponsored an event.
Have any put pressure on her to do the bear pit media appearances?
Isn't that a bit hyperbolic? Are some questions from the press so unreasonable?
Why take a load of sponsorship money if your mental health is a priority? All that comes with exposure and obligations.
Again, the question raised by her admission is; Should they? should playing tennis well automatically mean that its part of the job to suffer poor mental health? She's clearly not alone, other athletes have expressed similar feelings, her sponsors have all stood behind her.
It's one thing to say lots of athletes put pressure on themselves to perform well, it's another entirely to say they should jeopardise their health because Ron Burgundy from Channel 9 wants to know why she doesn't look happy to have won.
Different kettle of fish taking money from a racquet maker and turning up for a promo event or making video saying how good they are. Different when some numpty is saying ‘why were you so s**t today?’ just so some bottled water manufacturer gets some air time for their product as they’ve sponsored an event.
^^This. And hopefully it's the start of some change - but how fast and how far that'll be remains to be seen.
That will never change, however, because many people want to win even at the cost of their own self-destruction.
It will certainly never change as long as people are too blind to see that it can be challenged.
There's a lot of bumph being spoken on here about the hard obligation of the post-match presser, I can understand why you might want to interview the tournament winner right after (and there's interest and value in that) but the rest of it is nonsense that nobody cares about. All this talk about media needing it to fill column inches - they rarely say anything interesting because they can't, but any media outlet worth their salt will have a correspondent who can pick out and talk about the interesting bits about the matches played and games to come.
Should they? should playing tennis well automatically mean that its part of the job to suffer poor mental health?
No, but it may mean that some level of press interaction is required.
it’s another entirely to say they should jeopardise their health because Ron Burgundy from Channel 9 wants to know why she doesn’t look happy to have won.
The problem with this is that it could also mean that one wants to live in a bubble where one is never challenged; being asked any difficult questions is 'damaging' to one's mental health right? If one is that fragile perhaps choose another career?
There’s a lot of bumph being spoken on here about the hard obligation of the post-match presser,
I'm sure most people who work would love to be able to avoid meetings with clients on the grounds that it could damage their mental health?!
Some perspective is needed here. The demands are quite reasonable and nothing at all compared to most jobs that pay a fraction of what she earns.
No, but it may mean that some level of press interaction is required.
Sure, and she knows that, this is the first tournament that she stated publicly that she has issues around anxiety and stress that she's said she felt since the US open in 2018, how many interviews and press engagements has she had since then? She can hardly be accused of not "interacting".
The demands are quite reasonable
And you know that, because...?
Even if they are "reasonable", "expected", "routine"... that doesn't mean that doing lots of them can't become a problem for someone. This can happen to people in "most jobs" as well. Look out for them around you.
This can happen to people in “most jobs” as well. Look out for them around you.
A job cannot become a personal therapy session. Reasonable accommodations can be made only.
Reasonable accommodations can be made only.
Like sitting out a mass press debriefing. As opposed to being given a 3 set head start.
Reasonable accommodations can be made only.
Ok, so why didn't the WTA make any sort of accommodation then? When the world's ranked no2 player tells you that she's not up to doing the press in the format that it's in currently, what was their response? Was it to adjust what was being done? Was it to ask other players if they felt the same? was it to try to re-arrange the conferences? Was it to support the players?
The thing they did was to fine her, and then tweet out a picture of other players doing pressers with the caption "They understood the assignment" yey...go them...
Ok, so why didn’t the WTA make any sort of accommodation then?
The WTA have very little to do with the French Open.
The WTA have very little to do with the French Open.
the French Open is one of four Grand Slams on the calendar of the WTA Tour. Naomi Osaka's contract to play there is with the WTA, not Roland Garros individually. same as all the other Grand Slams
https://www.wtatennis.com/tournaments
WTA award ranking points so it is part of the "tour" but it is not one of their tournaments (for a start it has men at it), it is run by the ITF who run the Grand Slams and the power balance between the players and the organizers is certainly in favour of the organizers.
the power balance between the players and the organizers is certainly in favour of the organizers
Well, that is certainly true.
I bet I_scoff_cake loved it when Kimi Raikkonen said to a journalist "I was taking a shit" when being told he had missed a presentation given by Pele.
He's the ice man isn't he....Wonder what makes him different to Naomi Osaka, Megan Markle etc?
I bet I_scoff_cake loved it when Kimi Raikkonen said to a journalist “I was taking a shit” when being told he had missed a presentation given by Pele.
Brilliant response from Kimi Raikkonen.
Apologies to everyone, I didnt mean to wake up the troll.
Unless I've misunderstood - which is always possible...Osaka said (inane and pointless) post-match media interviews were affecting her mental health so she wouldn't participate - and didn't, so fined 10k for each perceived 'breach of contract'; withdrew from tournament; tournament organisers posted incredibly crass tweet which they rapidly deleted.
Tournament organisers have now apologised; WTA have, belatedly, stated their support for Osaka's stance; her sponsors have publicly stated their support for her.
This thread is, surely, now a dead one.
Whether there will be a long term change by tournament organisers - in all sports - is a complete unknown.
As I see it, it's one in the face for...suits behind the scenes, marketing/PR 'professionals' and bean counters.
The behind the scenes people in tennis give me the creeps.
Which is why they stay behind the scenes - in all sports.
The sort of people you wouldn't trust with your children.
Reasonable accommodations can be made only.
Like skipping the bullshit, pointless post-match press conferences?
Whether there will be a long term change by tournament organisers – in all sports – is a complete unknown.
You make it sounds like giving a press conference is inherently harmful.
When the world’s ranked no2 player tells you that she’s not up to doing the press in the format that it’s in currently, what was their response?
Perhaps she could have discussed it with them first before unilaterally declaring that she wasn't going to do part of her job?
You make it sounds like giving a press conference is inherently harmful.
Are you Piers Morgan in disguise?
Perhaps she could have discussed it with them first before unilaterally declaring that she wasn’t going to do part of her job?
Perhaps she did.
I’m sure most people who work would love to be able to avoid meetings with clients on the grounds that it could damage their mental health?!
A job cannot become a personal therapy session. Reasonable accommodations can be made only.
The actual ****???
You sound like a ****ing delight, I bet any person with mental health problems would be over the moon to have you as a work colleague or manager.
You sound like a **** delight, I bet any person with mental health problems would be over the moon to have you as a work colleague or manager.
Just highlights how some people really don't really accept mental health issues doesn't it. Luckily a lot of people are waking up to it and this is a good outcome in this case as shows progress is being made but there will always be the "just pull yourself together" brigade.
Are you Piers Morgan in disguise?
You mean the guy who flounced off his own show rather than face criticism?
Did anyone hear venus williams take on this?
Intense.. you can just feel how much she despises some of these cretins.
You make it sounds like giving a press conference is inherently harmful.
Well, the 11th seed fell over on the way out of hers yesterday and had to withdraw injured. So it's clearly a risky business.
Just highlights how some people really don’t really accept mental health issues doesn’t it. Luckily a lot of people are waking up to it and this is a good outcome in this case as shows progress is being made but there will always be the “just pull yourself together” brigade.
+1
Personally I've gone from "get on the ****ing plane or else" in 2001 to options for virtual attendance via teams today (even pre covid).
Haven't heard it, but do you mean she hates the press/media or her competitors?
Just highlights how some people really don’t really accept mental health issues doesn’t it.
I not sure we should just default to an affirmative stance when someone unilaterally declares that they have X mental health condition.
These things are diagnosed by professionals.
You don't have to ask for someone's medical records before you help them. I suppose a tiny dash of empathy is required though, and not everyone can manage that.
I not sure we should just default to an affirmative stance when someone unilaterally declares that they have X mental health condition.
I don't think we should either, but Osaka is just the most recent of a long list of athletes who've expressed the thought that post match interviews aren't great. All the way from Nadal pretty much saying exactly the same thing last year (which went totally unremarked upon) to Marshawn Lynch's "I'm just here so I don't get fined..."
It doesn't take a genius to work out that the combined vested interests of sports organisations and media interests are putting their needs ahead of those of the players/athletes. perhaps it's time that was changed?
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the combined vested interests of sports organisations and media interests are putting their needs ahead of those of the players/athletes. perhaps it’s time that was changed?
And what are the interests of the players?
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the combined vested interests of sports organisations and media interests are putting their needs ahead of those of the players/athletes. perhaps it’s time that was changed?
They have a symbiotic relationship. Athletes sign contracts for money. Sponsors and broadcasters provide that money in exchange for the athletes being available for media duties. Whenever there are large sums of money sloshing around, there will be people trying to get some of it. The people involved will range from genuinely decent people who love the sport through to outright criminals. This is not new.
Athletes sign contracts for money
hmmm, part of the issue for me, is that athletes are being signed up for sponsorship at an early age, Osaka turned pro at 16. I don't know many 16 years if offered alot of money for something they enjoy doing and are good at would necessarily stop and say, "y'know, I don't think I'll sign because of the impact this might have on me later on"
And what are the interests of the players?
Good health? Who knows, it probably ranges from "I enjoy doing press conferences", all the way through to "I hate them with a passion" I don't think it's beyond the wit of humans to accommodate that spectrum.
Osaka turned pro at 16. I don’t know many 16 years if offered alot of money for something they enjoy doing and are good at would necessarily stop and say, “y’know, I don’t think I’ll sign because of the impact this might have on me later on”
Their parents are supposed to prioritize the welfare of the child over money. Sadly, many don't and a lot of child stars end up with serious problems.
Did you just actually "blame the parents"
And what are the interests of the players?
Seriously? Obvious troll is obvious.