On Monday morning, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka officially withdrew from The French Open after receiving a fine and risk of expulsion from the tournament. She was fined for not wanting to do press conferences as she says it affects her mental health greatly. In her statement, she explained that she didn’t want to be a distraction to the tournament and felt that withdrawing was the best choice to prevent that.
Many people came out in support of Osaka as mental health is rarely discussed in sports. Although unusual, her move to withdraw will only help open doors for future athletes to prioritize mental health. One of the thousands who came out in support of her is conservative author and activist Candance Owens.
Owens took to twitter to write, "Naomi Osaka made the right decision. Mental illness is serious, and it is always an act of courage to step away to deal with personal issues. Emphasis on the word personal...The concept here is simple. I have people in my family who struggle with alcoholism. They do not demand that every venue and person in the world, therefore, stop drinking and selling alcohol."
This type of statement is nothing new from Owens. She'll often insert herself in the news, by stating if she supports what’s happening or not, and then adding an inflammatory opinion about today’s society that is sure to cause chaos. If you were to scroll through her replies, you would already see the arguments bubbling. Some supported her “personal struggles are not universal” comment, and others told her to shut up, simply put.
Nonetheless, it’s odd for Owens to suddenly come out in support of Osaka because, as some users have pointed out, Owens called her “annoying” and told her to “quit tennis” just days prior. Thus, some are questioning if this statement of support is genuine or if she’s trying to get some attention to promote her book and show.
Check out Candace’s last internet feud here.