If anyone was going to challenge the system, it was Naomi Osaka.
Her move has been applauded by athletes in tennis and beyond, as the once shy 23-year-old has again sought to use her platform to prompt discussion and push for change.
Some tennis officials have been less supportive: she faces huge fines – up to $20,000 (£14,160) per news conference – for failing to carry out the media commitments that are in the Grand Slam rule book – but the very fact she can afford to pay them means she is among the best placed players to take a stand.
In response to Osaka, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said the players “have a responsibility to their sport and their fans” to speak to the media during competitions.
But will her move change anything – and what might the effects of her media silence be?
Time to look at athletes’ media obligations?
“If the organisations think that they can just keep saying ‘do press or you’re gonna be fined’ and continue to ignore the mental…
