"Why would I keep pushing through it, when I can kind of confront it" - Osaka opens up about mental health problems
WTA
Naomi Osaka is one of the best players on the WTA Tour, but she's also one of the loudest advocates for mental health.
The former World No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion started opening up about mental health battles a bit more during last year's Roland Garros when she decided to skip a press conference. It was a big move that generated a lot of headlines.
However, over time, Osaka received more and more support for her actions, and now she spoke about how she felt only a few months ago during an appearance on The Late Show.
"Actually, I was kind of cuddled up in my house for a while after that whole thing happened. But then, I went to the Olympics, and there were so many athletes that came up to me, and I was so surprised, and I was so honored because these are people that I watch on TV and I like, I felt really grateful and felt really supported."
Osaka also talked about her mental health break and how she approached it. She was always taught to push through challenging times, but she has decided to change her approach.
The four-time major winner asked herself why she would struggle when she could take a break that could help her in the long run.
"I think for me, I've just always been taught to kind of like stick it out or like work through it and I think that's a very valuable lesson because it has gotten me through a lot of things in life."
"But there was just a point where I thought to myself like 'why?', you know! And not in a negative way. If I am feeling this way, why would I keep pushing through it, when I can kind of confront it and fix it and then continue on my journey."
