Naomi Osaka recently fired back at a critic, presumably a tennis fan, who poked her comment section on Instagram and rekindled an incident that happened almost three years ago.
At the 2021 French Open, Naomi Osaka was the second seed at the tournament and won her opening match over Patricia Maria Tig in straight sets. But before the start of the event, Osaka admitted that she would be skipping press conferences during the tournament.
The Japanese star explained that social interactions caused her "huge anxiety." Osaka stood by her words and did not show up for a customary post-match press conference after her first match.
But her decision had imminent implications as the tournament fined the four-time Grand Slam champion to the tune of $15,000 and warned her of potential expulsion. Incredibly, Osaka withdrew from the tournament after facing those consequences before she came out publicly to express her struggles with mental health.
The 26-year-old revealed at the time that she had been battling depression since the 2018 US Open final. She won her first Grand Slam that year, beating Serena Williams on her own patch. But that massive breakthrough only intensified scrutiny of Osaka and a barrage of questions from the media.
Osaka has since taken positive steps to address her long bouts with mental health. She took an indefinite break after the 2021 US Open. Thankfully, being away from the limelight and active competition has rejuvenated Osaka.
A few days ago, she shared a screenshot of a fan comment on her Instagram page, which, incidentally, was a critic trying to find fault in the 2021 episode, saying, "Is this the same Naomi Osaka who refuses to talk to the media and cries foul on questions that are both appropriate and necessary?"
But Osaka hit back at the user, with the name "troncarternlu," questioning why they were so agitated over an incident that happened three years ago. The post has since been deleted by the former World No. 1.
"I didn't talk for one tournament in 2021, you seem very affected by that are you ok?"
"Honestly lol cause why are some people still so hurt by something that happened to me 3 years ago."
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