Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 by the French Open tournament referee for skipping the post-match news conference after her first-round victory at French Open. Osaka can face stiffer punishment, including default from the Grand Slam tournament if she continues to avoid media appearances.
The President of the French tennis federation, Gilles Moretton, and three other heads of Grand Slam tournaments said they had reached out to Osaka after she previously said she would not participate in her media obligations and reminded her of the consequences laid out in the 2021 rulebook she should opt-out.
The statement said that “repeat violations would lead into tougher penalties including default from the tournament (Code of Conduct article III T.) and a major offense investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions (Code of Conduct article IV A.3.).”
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The organizations called the meeting of players with media members “a core element of the Grand Slam regulations” and an important piece for the growth of the sport. The statement also said Osaka’s mentioning her mental health leading to the decision to avoiding news conferences and said it was a priority of the Grand Slam tournaments.