MELBOURNE— Facing the media can be “very unpleasant” but it is part of tennis, said world number one Novak Djokovic, as debate continued to rage on Friday over Naomi Osaka’s decision to boycott press conferences at the French Open.
Women’s world number two Osaka stunned the tennis world when she announced she would not do any press conferences at the Grand Slam to protect her mental health, prompting criticism from French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton.
Djokovic said Osaka, “probably (had) her reasons why” but fell short of endorsing the four-time Grand Slam champion’s move.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 26, 2021
“I understand that press …
Keep on reading: Doing press is part of the sport, says Djokovic, as Osaka debate rages on