Along with this heavy fine, the No. 2-ranked, four-time Grand Slam winner could face harsher penalties if discontinue talking to the media.
“Naomi Osaka today chose not to honor her contractual media obligations. The Roland-Garros referee has therefore issued her a $15,000 fine, in keeping with article III H. of the Code of Conduct,” the four Grand Slam tournaments said Sunday in a joint statement.
Last Wednesday, Osaka had announced that she won’t talk to the press at the French Open because she believes that this show-up is an unhealthy practice for athletes’ mental health.
“We’re often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m not just going to subject myself to people that doubt me,” she wrote across social media platforms.
The 23-year-old expected that the fines she is forced to pay would go toward a mental health charity.
On Sunday, Osaka won her first-round against Patricia Maria Tig and she did not go to the post-match press conference. She did participate in the traditional on-court interview immediately following the match, however.
On Sunday, The Grand Slam organizations — which include Tennis Australia, the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), and the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) explained that they had previously reached out to Osaka “to check on her well-being and offer support, underline their commitment to all athletes’ well-being and suggest dialog on the issues.”
“She was also reminded of her obligations, the consequences of not meeting them, and that rules should equally apply to all players,” the organizations said, adding that, “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 themselves.”
The groups went on to highlight existing resources focused on players’ mental health and said they “need engagement from the players” to improve those services.
The Grand Slam organizations also claimed that they have informed Osaka that continued refusal to do media appearances will increase the fine and penalties:
“As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament (Code of Conduct Article III T.) and the trigger of a major offense investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions (Code of Conduct article IV A.3.).”
Osaka didn’t speak on the fine charged against her or the threat of default and suspension. She is expected to face Ana Bogdan in the second round.