Recent events have put 23-year-old tennis star Osaka at the forefront of the conversation surrounding sports and mental health, starting in May, during the French Open, when she refused to participate in post-match news conferences for the sake of her mental well-being. “I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health, and this rings true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” Osaka wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, as reported by NBC News. She was then fined $15,000 for not speaking to the media, which is a “contractual obligation.” Following the fine, Osaka, who’s battled depression, left the French Open and subsequently withdrew from Wimbledon. “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,” Osaka wrote in a post. “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018, and I have had a really hard time coping with that,” she added. RELATED: Serena Williams Walked Out of a Press Conference After This Question. Kelly, who spent a year at NBC News and 13 years at Fox News, recently called out Osaka for the media appearances she’s agreed to. On July 19, journalist Clay Travis tweeted, “Since saying she’s too introverted to talk to the media after tennis matches, Naomi Osaka has launched a reality show, a Barbie, and now is on the cover of the SI swimsuit issue,” with a link to an article on OutKick, the site he created. Kelly then jumped in, taking another shot at the authenticity of Osaka’s anxiety about talking with the press. “Let’s not forget the cover of (& interview in) Vogue Japan and Time Mag!” Kelly added. RELATED: See Every ’90s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model, Then and Now. Osaka responded to Kelly with a clarification of the timeline. “Seeing as you’re a journalist, I would’ve assumed you would take the time to research what the lead times are for magazines. If you did that, you would’ve found out I shot all of my covers last year,” Osaka wrote in a since-deleted tweet captured by Sporting News. “Instead your first reaction is to hop on here and spew negativity, do better Megan,” she added. Osaka then deleted her response and blocked the journalist on Twitter. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. In response, Kelly screencaptured her Twitter account, showing she was blocked by Osaka, and then once again called her out.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Osaka “blocked me while taking a shot at me,” Kelly tweeted. “She is apparently arguing that she shot her many covers [before] publicly claiming she was too socially anxious to deal [with] press. Truth is, she just doesn’t like [questions] she can’t control. Admit it.” Kelly also responded to a handful of tweets, further taunting Osaka and getting into another feud with tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who stood up for the young athlete. “Go pick on somebody your size—it ain’t me and it ain’t Naomi,” Navratilova tweeted to Kelly and then proceeded to block her after they exchanged words. “FYI, generally not considered a sign you are winning when ‘block’ is your next move. Like running off the court crying,” Kelly retorted. RELATED: Serena Williams Explains Why She Didn’t Want Her Daughter to Play Tennis.
