When Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open to take time off for self-care, I confess I cheered.
After skipping press at the French Open and expressing hope that the USD$15,000 fine levied on her would be donated to a mental health cause, Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon officials joined French Open officials in threatening Osaka with possible expulsion should she continue with her press boycott.
What happened next was unprecedented. And unthinkable. Osaka pulled out of the French Open. Currently ranked #2 in women’s tennis and the world’s highest-paid female athlete, Osaka walked away with a cryptic Instagram ending, “I’ll see you when I see you.”
Most of us believe that quitting is for losers. But such is not necessarily so. And Osaka shows us why.
The 23-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she had been suffering from depression since 2018. Though the tennis press had never been unkind to her, she explained that speaking in public causes her immense stress.
Tournament officials say that no athlete should gain unfair advantage over others so that if other athletes honor their press commitments, no one should be allowed to skip them without consequences. Hence the fine and the threats for harsher penalties.
Osaka did the right thing in quitting the French Open and putting her mental health first.
While athletes and/or celebrities do have a responsibility to do press, the press also has a responsibility to act in a professional manner and to be mindful of the fact that these human beings though seemingly gifted with superhuman powers are really just ordinary mortals.
It takes courage to stay. But it takes greater courage to walk away.
Forbearance can be a virtue but some situations in life call for us to exercise greater wisdom. Some associations and activities start out innocently but become harmful in the long-run. Some relationships start out well but become toxic through time.
We need to be able to find the courage to walk away from situations that don’t serve our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Acknowledging our problems is the first step to recovery. Accepting our mistakes is the beginning of healing. Quitting can be healthy when it means giving up on things, people and activities that do us more harm than good.
We were not privy to Osaka’s struggles — as we are not to most people’s.
Just because people triumph doesn’t mean they don’t struggle. Just because people smile doesn’t mean they don’t hurt inside. And strong people struggle more than you think. In fact, that’s how they became strong in the first place. They had to struggle so much to get to this place.
We’ll see you when we see you, Naomi. Know that we get you. Quitting is for winners too.