Duchess Meghan: support for tennis star Naomi Osaka

Duchess Meghan
Mental support for tennis star Naomi Osaka

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The tennis player Naomi Osaka publishes a commentary on dealing with mental health problems in sport in “Time” magazine. She then thanks Duchess Meghan for her support.

In the recent past it has become clear again and again how important the topic of mental health is for Duchess Meghan (39) and Prince Harry (36). In the scandalous interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey (67), the former actress revealed her thoughts of suicide and her desperate attempt to get help from the British royal family. Following the interview, Prince Harry published a documentary series together with Oprah Winfrey, which deals with the topic of mental health and, among other things, illuminates the prince’s past with regard to psychological problems after the death of his mother, Princess Diana († 36).


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With her commitment to this topic, Duchess Meghan now seems to have reached at least one person. In an article in “Time” magazine, tennis star Naomi Osaka (23) describes her personal problems with her mental health and then thanks Duchess Meghan for her support.

Naomi Osaka: $ 15,000 fine for canceled press conference

The fuss about Naomi Osaka began in May 2021. At that time, the 23-year-old stayed away from a press conference during the French Open in order to concentrate on her mental health according to her own statements. The tennis player was fined US $ 15,000 for not appearing, and was threatened that her behavior would prevent her from participating in future tournaments.

Then Naomi Osaka decided to cancel her participation in the entire French Open. At the time, the 23-year-old published a statement on her Instagram account in which she wrote: “I think it is best for the tournament, for the other players and for my well-being if I am eliminated from the tournament”. Regarding her cancellation of the press conference, she emphasized: “I would never downplay mental health or downplay the term”. The former US Open winner also revealed that she had been suffering from depression since 2018.

Duchess Meghan: Mental support for tennis star Naomi Osaka: Naomi Osaka

© ZUMA Wire / imago images

Duchess Meghan supported Naomi Osaka

In a lengthy comment that was published in “Time” magazine, the tennis star now expresses himself again on the incidents in Paris. Osaka denounces the pressure the athletes are under, even off the field, and calls for “sick days” so that athletes can take time for themselves when they see it as necessary.

I’ve made it clear that I am [im Mai 2021] wanted to cancel several press conferences to focus on my mental health. I still stand by that. Athletes are only human too. Tennis is our privileged calling and I am aware that there are also obligations off the field that we must adhere to. But I cannot imagine any other profession in which an impeccable presence is punished so severely.

Afterwards, Naomi Osaka thanks the people who have supported her during this time, above all her family and friends. But the tennis star also had prominent comrades-in-arms. In addition to the former First Lady Michelle Obama (57), the swimmer Michael Phelps (36), the professional basketball player Stephen Curry (33) and the tennis player Novak Djokovic (34), the 23-year-old also thanks Duchess Meghan for her support. How exactly the former actress helped the tennis star is not mentioned in her article by Osaka. However, she gives an excerpt from a conversation with Michael Phelps: “[Er] told me I would go with my bet [für die Akzeptanz von psychischen Problemen] possibly save a life. If that’s true then it was all worth it “.

Duchess Meghan: She encouraged Prince Harry to go into therapy

Meghan seems to have been a great mental support not only for Naomi Osaka. She also stood by her husband, Prince Harry, while he mentally dealt with his past. She advised him to seek therapy, as Harry revealed in the podcast “Armchair Expert” by actor Dax Shepard (46): “It was a conversation I had with my current wife. She saw it immediately, she could see that I was hurt and that some of the things that were out of my control really made me angry – it would make my blood boil “.

When he finally decided on therapy, the royal is said to have primarily thought of his family and not of himself. Regarding his own mental health problems, he says, “If I don’t know how to deal with it, how the hell am I going to be a decent father to my son and daughter?”

Even if Duchess Meghan does not seem to have too many fans in England after various allegations against the British royal family, racism and bullying allegations, she is apparently a great mental and emotional support for her friends and family.

This article originally appeared on GALA.de.

Source used: time.com, instagram.com, hollywoodlife.com, podcast Dax Shepard “Armchair Expert”

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