Naomi Osaka’s agent calls reporter a ‘bully’ after tennis star makes press convention return

Naomi Osaka spoke to the media on Monday and bought emotional whereas answering questions from reporters for the primary time in three months. Osaka was chatting with reporters in Mason, Ohio for the Western & Southern Open. Osaka withdrew from the French Open in Could citing her psychological well being and saying she didn’t need to take part in information conferences. 

The press convention started with Osaka being requested about her preparation and shifted to discussing how she plans to give the prize money she earns at the tournament to Haiti relief efforts. Osaka was visibly emotional at one level throughout the press convention, wiping her face and pulling her hat down. Osaka took a break after the moderator instructed they take a second and after a couple of minutes she returned to complete the media look. 

Osaka and Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty have been concerned within the change that result in her heightened feelings. Daugherty requested Osaka about her relationship with the media. Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid later referred to the columnist as a “bully.”

Right here is Duguid’s statement to CNN:

“The bully on the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why participant / media relations are so fraught proper now. Everybody on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all incorrect and his sole function was to intimidate. Actually appalling habits. And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off courtroom success to the media is a fable – do not be so self-indulgent.”

And here is the change between Daughtery and Osaka:

Daugherty: “You are not loopy about coping with us, particularly on this format. But you will have quite a lot of outdoors pursuits which are served by having a media platform. I suppose my query is how do you steadiness the 2? And likewise do you will have something you’d wish to share with us about what you probably did say to Simone Biles?” (Earlier within the press convention, Osaka stated she had despatched a message to Biles however stated she wished to offer her house, “as a result of I understand how overwhelming it might probably really feel.”)

Osaka: “If you say I am not loopy about coping with you guys, what does that consult with?”

Daugherty: “Properly, you’ve got stated you do not particularly just like the press convention format, but that appears to be clearly essentially the most extensively used technique of communication to the media and thru the media to the general public.”

Osaka: “That is attention-grabbing. I’d say the event, like when to do the press conferences what I really feel is essentially the most tough. […] I am very truly taken with that standpoint. So should you might repeat that, that will be superior.”

Daugherty: “The query was that you simply’re not particularly keen on coping with the media, particularly on this format. You have got instructed there are higher methods to do it, that we might wish to attempt to discover that. My query, I suppose, was you even have outdoors pursuits past tennis which are served by having the platform that the media presents to you. My query is how do you suppose you may have the ability to finest steadiness the 2?”

Osaka:  “I really feel like that is one thing that I can not actually converse for everyone. I can solely converse for myself, however ever since I used to be youthful I’ve had quite a lot of media curiosity on me, and I feel it is due to my background in addition to how I play. As a result of within the first place I am a tennis participant. That is why lots of people are taken with me.

“I’d say in that regard I am fairly totally different to lots of people. I can not actually assist that there are some issues that I tweet or some issues that I say that type of create quite a lot of information articles or issues like that. I do know it is as a result of I’ve gained a pair grand slams and I’ve gotten to do quite a lot of press conferences the place this stuff occur.

“However I’d additionally say I am probably not certain easy methods to steadiness the 2. I am figuring it out similtaneously you’re I’d say.”

The Western & Southern Open bought began Monday.