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Naomi Osaka Thanks Meghan Markle For Her Support Amid Her Mental Health Break From Tennis

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Updated on July 13, 2021

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Naomi Osaka claimed that Meghan Markle contacted out to give her support after withdrawing from the French Open due to mental health issues.

The tennis star revealed her choice to take a sabbatical from the court to concentrate on and prioritize her mental health in a new personal essay for TIME. Naomi said that the Duchess of Sussex was one of the many celebrities who came out in support of her, including Michelle Obama, Michael Phelps, and Steph Curry.

“I want to thank everyone who supported me. There are too many to name, but I want to start with my family and friends, who have been amazing. There is nothing more important than those relationships. I also want to thank those in the public eye who have supported, encouraged and offered such kind words. Michelle Obama, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Novak Djokovic, Meghan Markle, to name a few.” She added, “Michael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life. If that’s true, then it was all worth it.”

Osaka said in a statement released in May announcing her decision to withdraw that she has been suffering from depression since the 2018 US Open and that she experiences “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media.

In December, Osaka was a guest on Meghan and Prince Harry’s debut podcast episode for Archewell Audio on Spotify, where guests discussed their plans for 2020.

“This was never about the press, but rather the traditional format of the press conference. I’ll say it again for those at the back: I love the press; I do not love all press conferences,” Naomi explained. “I have always enjoyed an amazing relationship with the media and have given numerous in-depth, one-on-one interviews. Other than those super-stars who have been around much longer than I (Novak, Roger, Rafa, Serena), I’d estimate that I’ve given more time to the press than many other players over recent years.”

She continued, “I always try to answer genuinely and from the heart. I’ve never been media-trained, so what you see is what you get. The way I see it, the reliance and respect from athlete to press is reciprocal. However, in my opinion (and I want to say that this is just my opinion and not that of every tennis player on tour), the press-conference format itself is out of date and in great need of a refresh. I believe that we can make it better, more interesting and more enjoyable for each side. Less subject vs. object; more peer to peer.”

Meghan’s friendship with Grand Slam champ makes sense considering that she is a big tennis enthusiast who attends Wimbledon and the US Open on a regular basis and considers Serena Williams among her closest friends.

The Duke of Sussex said Meghan was the one who encouraged him to seek mental health treatment in the Apple TV+ series The Me You Can’t See, which was produced by Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey.

In a May interview on Dax Shepard’s podcast, Harry discussed how helpful talk therapy has been for him and how it has helped him understand he can utilize his position to make a genuine impact. “I plucked my head out of the sand and gave it a good shake off and I was like, you’re in this position of privilege, stop complaining and stop thinking you want something different—make this different—because you can’t get out. How are you going to do these things differently, how are you going to make your mum proud and use this platform to really affect change.”

The self-described “introvert”, Osaka, then proposed that professional tennis players be granted a limited number of “sick days” each year.

“I have numerous suggestions to offer the tennis hierarchy, but my number one suggestion would be to allow a small number of ‘sick days’ per year where you are excused from your press commitments without having to disclose your personal reasons,” she wrote.

“You wouldn’t have to divulge your most personal symptoms to your employer; there would likely be HR measures protecting at least some level of privacy.”

She added: “Perhaps we should give athletes the right to take a mental break from media scrutiny on a rare occasion without being subject to strict sanctions.”

Naomi ended her article by saying that she is looking forward to participating in the Olympics in Tokyo later this month now that she has had time to recuperate.

“After taking the past few weeks to recharge and spend time with my loved ones, I have had the time to reflect, but also to look forward,” Naomi wrote. “I could not be more excited to play in Tokyo. An Olympic Games itself is special, but to have the opportunity to play in front of the Japanese fans is a dream come true. I hope I can make them proud.”

Osaka said ahead of the start of the French Open in late May that she would not be conducting any press throughout the tournament to protect her mental health. She subsequently received her first victory and a $15,000 punishment for failing to comply with media regulations.