A year on, Naomi Osaka's French Open exit blazes path for mental health discussion

Naomi Osaka had stunned the tennis world when she withdrew from the 2021 French Open after boycotting post-match media duties. A year, the sport is addressing the mental toll on athletes

The mental toll of professional tennis will be in focus as the curtain rises at the Roland Garros next week, a year since four-time major winner Naomi Osaka sparked fresh debate around athletes' mental health.

The former world number one stunned the tennis world when she withdrew from the clay court major after boycotting post-match media duties, prompting a row with tournament officials.

The Japanese player revealed she had been suffering from depression for almost three years, setting off a ripple effect as top athletes like Olympic gymnastics great Simone Biles put their well-being into focus.

The saga also cast a spotlight on tennis majors' pressure-cooker post-match media mandates, as Roland-Garros organisers conceded they could "do better" on mental health.

Osaka did not respond to a request for comment this week.

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters in March that organisers were preparing "even weeks before" the tournament to ensure they were equal to the challenge.

"We see already that the emotions are really, really hard sometimes to handle for some players," she said.