Tennis great is opening up about her decision to take a break from social media.
“I would say that I’m not as involved in social media anymore, just because I began to feel like it was very negative, I guess when people started knowing of me more,” Osaka, 26, told People in an interview published on Wednesday, October 9.
“So I kind of disconnected myself from that,” she continued. “I know that social media in a way is a little bit unavoidable, so I think that I’m still learning.”
The four-time Grand Slam singles champion said she doesn’t “think most people know that mental health is as important as your physical health, and in some ways, it might be more important.”
She added that she’s “fortunate” to have been “learning about mental health for quite a couple years now,” and revealed that she now travels with a mental health coach when competing.
“I wouldn’t really call her a therapist,” she explained, “but basically she’s someone that helps me with tools that I can use on and off the court.”
In 2021, Osaka withdrew from the French Open after she declined to speak with the press, citing mental health reasons.
“This isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris. I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing is not ideal and my message could have been clearer.”
In the same Instagram post, Osaka revealed that she has suffered “long bouts of depression.”
In the wake of her decision, many high-profile athletes and Hollywood A-listers took to social media to praise Osaka for prioritizing her mental health, including Duchess of Sussex , former first lady , Olympian and NBA star .
“I want to thank everyone who has supported me … I always try to push myself to speak up for what I believe to be right, but that often comes at a cost of great anxiety,” Osaka wrote in a personal essay for TIME back in 2021.
“I feel uncomfortable being the spokesperson or face of athlete mental health as it’s still so new to me and I don’t have all the answers,” she continued. “I do hope that people can relate and understand that it’s OK not to be OK, and it’s OK to talk about it. There are people who can help, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.”
When speaking to People, Osaka said that she appreciates “that the conversation was taken really seriously,” adding that she believes “all the players appreciate that.”
The tennis player also opened up about what she would say to her daughter, Shai — whom she gave birth to in July 2023 — in regards to her own mental health.
“I want [Shai] to feel like her feelings are valid and nothing that she’s going through should make her feel like she’s isolated,” the proud mom explained. “ I think the biggest thing is that I want her to feel supported throughout her journey and throughout her feelings, because I think everyone goes through their own life and we all just want to feel supported in that journey.”
