Osaka had pulled out of the French Open after she was fined $15000 for boycotting the post-match press.
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French Open: Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli says a lot of questions surround Naomi Osaka and her participation at the grasscourt championship. Osaka had pulled out of the French Open after she was fined $15000 for boycotting the post-match press. She was also warned of expulsion.
“We didn’t expect for this to happen,” Bartoli told ITV Sport during her role as a pundit.
“We didn’t think the situation was so bad with Naomi. I think the WTA is trying really hard to find some solution.
“The press conferences at the moment are not the usual ones with the press not even in the press room, and they all being done on Zoom, so you don’t feel like that anxiety you might feel when you have someone in your face asking a tricky question.
“But maybe they are trying to find a way to narrow down to maybe three or four questions for Naomi’s press conferences.”
Her decision has now brought light to the kind of questions tennis players face during conferences. Bartoli believes the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) are trying to find a solution that could work for Osaka.
With Wimbledon looming later this month, Bartoli feels that the time frame is maybe too small for Osaka.
“I hope she is at Wimbledon for women’s tennis and tennis in general,” the Frenchwoman said.
“She is such a huge star, and she resonates around the world. But of course, there are many question marks, but we don’t know if she will be there.
“We haven’t heard from her; we don’t know where she is. But the players are supporting her, and the WTA are trying to find a solution with the ITF so that she can be comfortable the next time she faces a press conference.”
