Siya Kolisi says he was touched by Naomi Osaka's honesty over mental health issues

Naomi Osaka's decision to prioritize her mental well-being over her tennis this year has struck a chord with South African rugby star Siya Kolisi. The 30-year-old, who has been a trailblazer on and off the field for years, said he was glad that professional athletes are finally speaking up about their mental health struggles.

Kolisi admitted that he was incredibly touched to see someone he admires go through the same struggles as him and stand up for themselves.

"I took so much from Osaka," Kolisi told BBC Sport. "For her to stand up and say ‘listen, I’m not OK’... that makes me feel OK about not feeling OK sometimes. To hear someone that you look up to and someone that you watch, that touches you."

Kolisi stated that athletes are trained not to show any signs of weakness. In that context, he believes Naomi Osaka's decision to speak out has benefitted him as he too has gone through similar struggles in the past.

"It makes me feel so good to know that it’s right for me to go through this kind of thing. We are trained to not show pain in the sport that I play," Kolisi said. "We are trained that when you get hurt, you must just get up and keep on moving forward and sometimes you take that literally."

"Even when you’re not OK personally, emotionally… In my culture, men don’t cry. That’s absolutely rubbish…. We’re not robots, that’s the ultimate thing," he added.

Naomi Osaka started a conversation regarding the mental health of athletes during the French Open

Naomi Osaka at the Tokyo Olympics.

Prior to this year's Roland Garros, Naomi Osaka announced that she would skip mandatory press conferences at the tournament in order to focus on her mental well-being. The Japanese subsequently withdrew from the event after her first-round match.

Osaka's decision sparked a debate regarding mental health in sports and athletes across various disciplines followed the Japanese's lead in speaking about their struggles.

Naomi Osaka received support from the likes of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and retired American alpine ski racer Lindsay Vonn, among others.

Osaka is currently on another hiatus from tennis following her third-round loss at the US Open. However, the Japanese recently expressed her desire to compete again.