Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka was in tears at her first press conference since pulling out of the French Open in May.
The 23-year-old decided not to hold a press conference in Paris to help her mental health and eventually withdrew from the event. She also missed Wimbledon and only returned from a break at the Tokyo Olympics where she lit the Olympic torch.
However, upon returning to press conference duty at the Cincinnati Open, Cincinnati Inquirer columnist Paul Dougherty from Osaka asked how she balances the benefits of a large media profile without speaking to the media.
The Japanese player asked for an explanation before answering the question but as soon as she was asked another question related to tennis, she started crying.
Osaka briefly left the press conference room but later returned to finish it.
She returns to press ahead of @CincyTennis. @naomiosaka | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/445cxg6GUt
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 16, 2021
The 23-year-old felt that skipping media duties at the French Open was something she needed to do to protect herself.
"It felt like I needed to do something for myself. I felt like I'd been hiding in my house for a couple of weeks and was a little embarrassed to go out.
"The biggest eye-opener was going to the Olympics and other athletes came up to me and said they were really happy that I did what I did."
Osaka will now try to get ready to take part in the US Open starting on August 30.