Tennis – After the “offensive” question: Naomi Osaka wept bitterly at the press conference – Tennis

Bad day for tennis star Naomi Osaka (23).

When the Japanese was asked in an online media round about the WTA tournament in Cincinnati why she benefited from the media world but rarely wanted to speak to the media, the former world number one burst into tears. Cried.

Osaka wiped the tears from the sleeves of her jacket, pulled her hat over her face, and finally walked off the podium.

According to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg, who attended the press conference, “the question was asked quite aggressively”.

Background: Osaka declined to speak to the press at the French Open in May. The Japanese also ended the tournament a little later as he was penalized for it. At the time, she revealed that she had been battling “prolonged bouts of depression” for years.

Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, delivered an all-out blow after PK was eliminated: “The bully at the Cincinnati Inquirer is a symbol of why relations between players and the media are so tense at the moment.”

It continued: “Everyone in this media round would agree that his tone was completely wrong and that his sole purpose was to intimidate the players. Terrible behavior indeed!”

Osaka took a break from major tennis events after withdrawing from the French Open but eventually returned to the Tokyo Olympics that same month.