We’ve all been there.
Sometimes the demands of our jobs become too much, and before we’re able to preserve our well-being in whatever ways we deem fit, our mental health suffers as a consequence.
Professional athletes are no different. But in a cruel twist of fate, the immense scrutiny they face that often contributes to their own mental health struggles is not only part of the job, but a contractual obligation.
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As we reported at The Root, last week, tennis superstar Naomi Osaka expressed her intention to abstain from media interviews during this year’s French Open citing her need to protect her mental health.
“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athlete’s mental health and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” the No. 2 ranked tennis star wrote on Instagram. “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.”
