World No 2 Naomi Osaka on Sunday was threatened with disqualification from the ongoing French Open if she continues to boycott media, officials said. Osaka defeated Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig 6-4, 7-6 (4) to advance into the second round of the tournament.
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“We have advised Naomi Osaka that should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further Code of Conduct infringement consequences,” a combined statement from the four grand slam tournaments read.
“As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament,” it added.
As per the press release, the Roland Garros referee fined Osaka $15,000.
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“A core element of the Grand Slam regulations is the responsibility of the players to engage with the media, whatever the result of their match, a responsibility which players take for the benefit of the sport, the fans and for themselves,” the press release stated.
Osaka, the highest-earning female athlete in the world last year, announced Wednesday in a Twitter post that she would not be taking part in news conferences during the French Open. The Japanese national opted for a code of silence in protest saying that she believes is the detrimental effect of media coverage on her mental health.