Naomi Osaka—A Show of Strength
Naomi Osaka, Australian Open 2020
As a clinical psychologist and an avid tennis enthusiast, I have been closely following and have been keenly interested in the responses and reactions to Naomi Osaka’s public acknowledgement of her mental health issues and her decisions to decline media interviews during the French Open tennis tournament and to ultimately withdraw from the competition.
Responses have been varied:
Tennis officials at Roland Garros focussed on rule adherence and publicly reprimanded Osaka for not fulfilling her duties which led to her decision to withdraw from the tournament completely.
Osaka’s sponsors, including Nike, Mastercard and Tag Heuer, were largely supportive of her and lauded her courage to disclose her mental health struggles and her decision to exercise self-care.
Her fellow tennis players had mixed reactions, some emphasising the need for all of them to stick to the rules and others expressing empathy and support for Osaka.
Journalists’ views have also been mixed, some supportive, and others going so far as to say that her actions were immature, precious and petulant (projection perhaps?).
Fans have also had diverse reactions, some highlighting the importance for all players to fulfil the requirements of the tournament and others backing Osaka’s decision to prioritise self-care over work obligations.
When situations like these arise on the public stage, particularly when they involve young people who are performing at an elite level in their chosen field, the conversation often becomes guided by questions like:
Why would they quit in the prime of their careers?
or
Why does this generation lack resilience?
What do they have to complain about?
These kinds of questions reflect a lack of understanding, not only about mental health but about the fundamentals about what it means to be human.
Osaka has not left the sport, but she chose to halt her participation in one of the four major tournaments of the year at a time in her career when she is at the top of her game. Why? Osaka had to weigh up her duty to fulfil her work obligations which included media interviews after every match and her duty of care to herself. The fact that she chose to both disclose her past and current mental health issues and to withdraw from a tournament at a time in her career when she is performing at her best speaks volumes about her—what an incredibly brave act to choose in this moment to prioritise her health over her career.
Speaking up and taking time out is not an act of immaturity, petulance, preciousness or weakness, it is a show of strength, courage, wisdom and self-care.
We also need to acknowledge that mental health issues among elite athletes are not new. Studies have shown that elite athletes experience mental health issues as often as the general community and that aspects of their profession may make them more susceptible to problems like substance use, depression and anxiety.
The difference between now and in the past is that athletes used to just suffer in silence. You don't have to look far to find examples of this in the tennis world: Andre Agassi candidly wrote about his struggles as an elite athlete including his hatred for tennis for most of his career, his constant anxiety and his substance abuse is his book "Open". Ash Barty also took a leave of absence early in her career citing her feelings of disconnection and stating that she felt lost within herself mentally.
Athletes within all sporting codes have experienced mental health struggles during and after their careers. This is not a new phenomenon—it’s just coming out of the darkness into the light.
This path is being lit by the brave young individuals, like Osaka, who are willing to say that they are not coping, that they need support, and that they may also need to take time out to take care of themselves.
Speaking up and making decisions in service of one’s own well-being is not sign of weakness or a lack of resilience—it is a courageous act.
Not only will it prevent more significant and problematic behaviours from developing in the future, it serves as a beacon for others who are hiding their suffering, letting them know that they are not alone and that it’s okay to reach out for help.
As for the questions about “this generation.” The answer is, yes, this generation is different—they are more aware of mental health as a priority and they are more open to seeking help.
Do young athletes need to build resilience? Of course—we can all use more resilience. But to say that deciding to take leave due to mental health issues is evidence of a lack of resilience is an oversimplification at best, and extremely invalidating and inaccurate at worst.
Athletes who have made it to the elite level have already demonstrated a level of resilience that most of us in the general population do not have. To become a professional athlete involves a great deal of discipline, stress, sacrifice, coping with failure, and physical and mental toughness—so...resilience! It can also be argued that making a decision to ask for help and take time out is evidence of resilient behaviour—i.e. making effective choices in response to challenges.
So, what other factors are likely to be at play that contribute and exacerbate athletes’, and particularly young athletes’ mental health?
In addition to personal factors (that we may or may not know about), other factors are likely to include aspects related to systemic issues, and the culture and demands within the sport, the current realities of being an elite athlete, and the impact of broader societal issues (social media, the pandemic, racism, sexism, stigma).
The fact is that the scrutiny that players face now (in tennis and in other sporting codes) is far greater than for previous generations. The rates of anxiety are increasing among young people in general, and the proliferation of social media is thought to be one of the major factors contributing to these rising numbers. Add to this the physical and mental demands of being an elite athlete, the separation from family & friends, the constant travel, the pressure to be a role model, and the involvement in the business of tennis (sponsorship etc), it’s a lot for a young person or a person of any age to take on. And then add on to that, the constant criticism, analysis, questions, judgements about you as a person as you are forming your identity within a society still fraught with racism, sexism and stigma—what are we really expecting our young athletes to be able to manage?
What can we do to better?
This is the question we should be asking.
To address the issue of mental health among athletes, it is important to ask
“Why?”
but only if that question can help us get to
“What now?”
Measures that can be taken
There are a number of measures that can be taken to improve and support the mental health and well-being of elite athletes. (And you’ll notice that the following strategies can be applied within any business, organisation and institution to ensure the mental health and well-being of their workforce, teams, staff, employees, students and colleagues).
Prioritise psychological well-being
Embed mental health and well-being policies and procedures into programs to support and assist athletes, coaches and other officials with an emphasis on preventative and early intervention efforts.
Provide access to skills-building programs that include evidence-based strategies to manage anxiety and to cope with the realities of being an elite athlete in the public eye. Young people are using technology for information and services more and more and athletes are often travelling all over the world, so it is important for well-being programs, information, and services to be accessible online.
Ensure that there are appropriate support networks immediately available to athletes when they are needed with options to access these resources within the organisation or outside of it.
Address the culture of the sporting code/organisation
Reassess the values of the sporting code, and ensure that the culture and conduct are guided by these principles.
Invest in leaders and officials who are genuinely invested in mental health and well-being to ensure a reduction in stigma among athletes and to foster positive changes in mindset and responses to athletes who present with mental health issues.
Gain an understanding of the difference between equality and equity and be guided primarily by the principle of equity which takes into account individual differences and provides people with what they need to succeed.
Encourage open conversations among athletes, coaches and officials to reduce stigma and increase knowledge, empathy and compassion.
Conduct more research
There are only a few studies about the mental health of elite athletes. So far, a review by Orygen Health of studies conducted so far has shown that athletes experience the same rate of mental health problems as the general public but may also be more vulnerable to mental health problems (particularly substance abuse) due to the unique stressors that are part of being an elite athlete.
Encourage Self-Awareness, Openness & Empathy
Osaka has highlighted the importance of speaking up and making choices that are in service of your mental health and well-being. But this has come at a price. Although stigma about mental health issues have reduced over the last few decades, we can see by the varied responses to Osaka’s self-disclosure and decisions, that we can do more to increase our understanding, reduce our judgments, and respond more compassionately.
The benefits of reducing the stigma of mental health issues are that more people will feel safe to ask for help, and therefore, receive support early and recover more quickly.
Elite athletes, like Osaka, who prioritise self-care and their own mental health and well-being will inspire the general community to do the same.
She may not realise this yet, but through her courageous actions this week, she has given people an immeasurable gift.
The message:
This can happen to anyone.
You are not alone.
Speak up.
Take care of yourself.
Helpful numbers for information and support (in Australia) include:
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
MensLine Australia 1300 789 978
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
Headspace 1800 650 890
Dr. Lillian Nejad is a clinical psychologist based in Melbourne and Founder of Skills for Life, providing online mental health and well-being programs for individuals and organisations. For more information, go to www.drlilliannejad.com.