Dixya Poudel

Recently, the tennis world was abuzz with the news of Naomi Osaka's decision to withdraw from French Open tournament. A Japanese professional tennis player, Osaka made this decision to prioritise her mental well-being. Prior to this decision, she had withdrawn from press conferences of the French Open. And she has pulled out of this year's Wimbledon as well.
According to the Women's Tennis Association, Osaka currently ranks second amongst the female tennis players worldwide. She has won four grand slam singles titles and is the current champion at Australian Open and U.S. Open. Her decision to take "personal time with friends and family" has highlighted the stress, competition and strain prevalent in the competitive world of sports. She cited anxiety and "long bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018 for her decision. Osaka has since stated that she will return in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
Fans have certainly supported Osaka's decision to take a time off. However, she was fined $15,000 for not attending the press conference for this year's French Open. In a joint statement, the organisations of the Grand Slam events stated that "the responsibility of the players to engage with the media, whatever the result of their match" is essential to compete in major tournaments. Since she turned pro in 2013, Osaka's tennis career has been quite illustrious and a global inspiration. And currently, worldwide supports have been pouring for her with many approving her decision.
As John Milton has said, "The mind is its own place and in itself, can make can a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." It is very much necessary to prioritise mental health. Even the best of people are vulnerable to the grips of stress, depression and anxiety. Especially it is high achievers and perfectionists who are susceptible to fall prey to excessive strains. Those who are at the height of their career are expected to keep up with their hard work.
However, undue stress and anxiety can build up to alarming consequences. It also doesn’t help that mental illnesses are shrouded with stigma which results in people avoiding treatment and counselling. Due to the fear of discrimination, people continue to live with mental trauma, stress and exhaustion instead of seeking help. For centuries, the world has held psychological illnesses as taboo with women, adolescents and the infirm bearing the brunt of the silence surrounding the diseases of mind.
It falls upon individuals to take responsibility towards their life and it includes taking care of their health as well. It isn’t just physical health that requires attention, mental and psychological health too demands attention. Thus at any given day and time, health must be put first. Further, seeking help is not a sign of weakness; instead it is the first step towards healing.
Particularly the youth are volatile in their psychological health and must be taught to seek help when necessary. Therapy, counselling and medications are vital to counteract psychological illnesses. So are environmental factors such as love and support from the family members, friends and those within the social circles.
While popular psychology stresses on the need for positive thinking, it is sometimes necessary to realign with the inner self. Osaka's decision has certainly led to much crucial conversation regarding mental health and well-being.