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What do you think is causing tennis player Naomi Osaka's problems?

22 Comments

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Her own sense of entitlement and selfishness. Partly a generational problem, partly social media but mainly living a life devoted to playing, eating and sleeping tennis while others are developing social skills. There is a trade off.. Fantastic tennis player but terrible personality.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Never having a chance to really mature, get an education and face “life choices & consequences” outside of sports, fame and now, abundant finances.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

*Perhaps, *more than anything else, her present “inner circle” and “advisors”?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

self inflicted due to a lack of maturity. Happens to a lot of tennis players who focus on the sport over growing up. Also because tennis is a solo game for the most part. Other sports would have instilled a sense of teamwork and self reflection

3 ( +3 / -0 )

What problems?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I have not experienced as a professional athlete, so I cannot understand the inner feeling of her in 100 percent. However, she doesn't seem to be mentally strong when she's cornered. One of the examples is that she often threw her racket on the ground when she gets irritated on herself, which is seen countless times on other players games. She needs the skill of controlling her mind and bear up the bad situation. Although I think she understands her role as a professional tennis player, she has not yet grown up to be that unfortunately. I hope she overcome it.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

i just wish she just goes far, far away. You can’t even figure out if she wants the spotlight or not, and can’t make up her mind. Of course, keep those sponsorship checks keep rolling on, Kaching! Oh, maybe I’ll buy another house.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I think she might just not be ready to handle this high level of success and fame. If I recall correctly, growing up she was never expected to be a high-level tennis player- her sister was supposed to be the top prospect, and she was just kind of tagging along to tournaments. Then one day, her level of play shot up way above what anyone had expected.

Not everyone is cut out to be famous and in the limelight all of the time. Perhaps no one really expected her to get as far as she did, so she never really had a chance to prepare for it. The issue I think that comes up a lot with Osaka is for someone who claims to hate the spotlight, she sure has a knack for putting herself in it when it suits her- no one forces anyone to be a Barbie doll, or to appear in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, for example.

Just presuming, but she's got to realize that being wealthy and famous means accepting the whole package- the good and the bad, not just when you want to pick and choose if you want to be a millionaire celebrity today or not. After a certain point, there's no off switch. This would require a level of maturity and self-reflection that I'm not sure is there yet.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I think she's stuck in a loop. Doesn't win and gets frustrated, causing her to overthink it, which causes her to not win, which causes her to get frustrated...

She said in a quote the other day that when she wins, it's a relief, rather than an achievement. She doesn't enjoy the game anymore. I think she should take some time off, maybe a few months, maybe a few years, maybe her life. The viewers of the sport aren't worth the destruction of her mental health.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Immaturity.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Contrary to someone’s attempts at perpetrating ‘rumor’, Naomi Osaka’s ‘national language’ skills are just fine for her daily life with her family. Didn’t someone claim just yesterday to allegedly overhear her during the incident say:

- @5:11pm: “Watashi wa nihonjin desu. Watashi wa ichiban desu. Watashi wa niban ni narimasen.” - [??]

“Let’s listen”:

https://sports.yahoo.com/naomi-osaka-may-step-away-from-tennis-after-us-open-loss-leylah-fernandez-mental-health-media-043117861.html

No words. Nothing from Naomi. She’s mute there alright. Just threw her racket to the ground

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The most crucial of life's tournament, championships, if you wish, we will all sooner or later have to face is how to overcome our own is self doubt.

No running away or quitting.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I’d feel good doing that too after being asked what my favorite type of sushi was in every single interview by Japanese press

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Thumbs down to the posters dissing on this YOUNG woman.

Mind your own business would be my advice.

Depression or similar is a mongrel disease that can strike anyone, any time.

Media needs to shut up as well.....she's not public property.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

I can’t tell you, but it’s obvious. lol

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

It's probably stress due to the media continuously wondering and asking about her problems.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Frustration at not knowing the language of your nationality has to be an issue. Other than that, she comes across as a typical tennis player pro. There have been tantrums by most of them.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

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