Naomi Osaka Bursts Into Tears During Press Conference After Exchange with Reporter

• Naomi Osaka broke down in tears after an exchange with a journalist during a recent press conference
• The journalist seemed to suggest the four-time major champion and world No. 2 used media when it was convenient for her
• Osaka had in May boycotted press conferences and was subsequently fined for her decision

Tennis star Naomi Osaka broke down in tears in her very first press conference since withdrawing from the French Open after an awkward exchange with a reporter.

The Japanese star is preparing to compete in her first tournament since the Tokyo Olympics and she was on media duty on Monday, August 16.

It was during the Western & Southern Open news conference in Mason, Ohio, that Osaka burst into tears after a reporter subtly accused her of using media when it suited her.

How the exchange went down

The presser went south when one reporter, identified by The Guardian as Paul Daugherty, decided to tackle the question of Osaka’s relationship with the media head-on. The reporter asked:

“The question was you are not fond of dealing with the media in this format. My question is, you also have outside interest outside tennis that are served by having media confrences. How are you able to best balance the two?”

Osaka, the world number two, responded by saying:

“For me I feel this is something I can’t really speak for everybody, I can only speak for myself. But ever since I was younger, I’ve had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it’s because of my background as well as how I play.

“Because in the first place I’m a tennis player, which is why a lot of people are interested in me. So I would say in that regard I’m quite different to a lot of people, and I can’t really help that there are some things I tweet or say that create a lot of news articles or things like that.

“But I would also say, I’m not really sure how to balance it too, I’m figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say.”

It was at this point that Osaka broke down in tears while trying to listen to the next question before leaving the room for a few seconds to compose herself.

In the wake of the press conference, Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid slammed Daugherty, calling him a “bully”

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Naomi Osaka has crashed out of the Olympics in Tokyo, on her home ground.

She lost to Marketa Vondrousova 6-1 6-4 in what was surely an upset in the tournament. Osaka has taken time off tennis citing mental health reasons and made her comeback at the Olympics.

She had a good start but was, unfortunately, no match for Vondrousova who made the most out of the match to seal an impressive victory.