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Todd Woodbridge and Boris Becker recently weighed in on Naomi Osaka's shock withdrawal from Roland Garros following the controversy surrounding her decision to boycott press conferences at the Grand Slam.
Naomi Osaka announced her withdrawal on Monday, asserting how she does not want to become a "distraction". The Japanese also revealed that she has been suffering from depression since the 2018 US Open.
Doubles great Todd Woodbridge reckons Naomi Osaka could learn lessons from the way Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal deal with the media.
"I think there's an opportunity to look at two of the greatest, and that's Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who through their careers have always seemed to deliver what the media needs, and also what they need, without creating any extra stress on themselves," Todd Woodbridge said.
Naomi Osaka also said she would be taking a break from the sport and did not provide a date for her return.
Woodbridge believes Osaka should take as much time as she needs to sort out her problems before considering a comeback.
"I don't see the point in her rushing to come back," Woodbridge told Wide World of Sports. "One of the things we've learned in the last five or 10 years, is that there is no age barrier. Look at Serena (Williams) and Venus (Williams) and Roger (Federer)."
Six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker believes Naomi Osaka's mental health issues could spell doom for the rest of her career.
“Now she is pulling out of the tournament altogether because she can’t cope with it and that raises much bigger questions for me," Becker said. "If she can’t cope with the media in Paris, she can’t cope with the media in Wimbledon or the US Open. So I almost feel like her career is in danger due to mental health issues.”
The German also pointed out that media obligations are part and parcel of an athlete's life.
"I always believed the media was part of the job," Becker said. "Without the media, there is no prize money, no contracts, you don’t get half the cake."
Todd Woodbridge believes Naomi Osaka should talk to Billie Jean King to learn the history of tennis
Todd Woodbridge also believes Naomi Osaka should have a chat with the legendary Billie Jean King to gain an understanding of the evolution of tennis.
"The person you'd probably look at would be Billie Jean King, if Naomi could call Billie Jean and just talk about stories, where the game was and how it's got to this point, then you get an appreciation of the history of the game," Woodbridge explained.
"That builds the knowledge, and with knowledge comes maturity. When you know the history of your sport, you have a much greater appreciation for what's required."
Woodbridge also highlighted how Roger Federer's interactions with former greats had given the Swiss a better understanding of the sport.
"Someone like Roger knows the stories, he's spoken to the great players about the difficulties they faced," he added.
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