Naomi Osaka says she is aware that some people still feel ashamed or embarrassed to open up about their mental health and that’s why she has been so transparent about her struggles, hoping that it could help others to also seek help.
Naomi Osaka details how she’s trying to end shame part in mental health conversations.
Since revealing her battle with anxiety and depression during the 2021 French Open, the four-time Grand Slam champion has been regularly updating fans about her well-being. Also, she has kind of become an advocate for good mental health among athletes.
In the most recent development of that, Maybelline New York announced Osaka as their first-ever Brave Together global ambassador. This campaign has the goal of sparking conversations surrounding mental health and helping more people open up.
“That it’s okay to not be okay. I think there’s historically been a lot of shame and embarrassment in these types of things, but there definitely shouldn’t be. We all go through challenges and it’s important to talk about it and help each other through,” the Japanese tennis star told Harper’s Bazaar.
Osaka: Talking about it is the key
As mentioned above, the former world No. 1 hasn’t been shying away from revealing her true state over the last couple of years. During and after her pregnancy, she was also very transparent about her mental health and well-being.
I honestly believe that talking about it and just being more transparent is key to changing the culture around mental health. For so long it felt like it was a subject that wasn’t supposed to be talked about, but I think the more we talk about it, the more we realize how many people are struggling with it,” Osaka added.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old is set to open her 2025 season at the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland, which kicks off on December 30th.
In the past, Osaka played once in Auckland, reaching the quarterfinal in 2017.
