Tennis: Osaka withdrawal puts spotlight on media mandate

MELBOURNE/PARIS: The waves of anxiety Naomi Osaka described before heading into a post-match press conference might be familiar to French Open finalist Sofia Kenin, whose gut-wrenching exit from the Australian Open was laid bare in front of cameras in February.

Once back on the court, the cracks appeared when she cried at the Yarra Classic tournament after a 6-2 6-2 loss to Garbine Muguruza, a rematch of their Australian Open final the year before. Yet about an hour after the loss, she filed stoically into Melbourne Park's window-less media conference room to take questions from reporters on site and others logged in by video conference from around the world.

Players can opt out without fear of sanction if injured or"physically unable to appear" but there is no provision for mental strain, a grey area made murkier with the emotional toll of a disappointing loss. "You just have to somehow manage it. You have to have a good team around you who support you. You know they're with you. Anything you say is to them, and that's it. They'll always support you and have your back."

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