Naomi Osaka's French Open Withdrawal Leads to Calm App Offering to Pay Fines for Other Tennis Players Who Skip Press Conferences

Naomi Osaka is getting support from the Calm App after withdrawing from the 2021 French Open.

Calm – the company behind the popular meditation and mindfulness app – announced on Twitter that they will pay the fine for any player who plans on opting out media appearances due to mental health reasons during the 2021 Grand Slam.

They also announced that they would match any fine with a $15,000 donation to Laureus, which is a French youth sports charity. In addition, Calm is donating another $15,000 to the charity to support the 23-year-old tennis pro’s “decision to prioritize her mental health.”

“Mental health is health. 🎾 To support Naomi Osaka’s decision to prioritize her mental health, Calm is donating $15,000 to @LaureusSport in France, an organization doing incredible work in the mental health space to transform the lives of young people through the power of sport,” Calm first tweeted.

“But this is bigger than any individual player. Calm will also pay the fine for players opting out of 2021 Grand Slam media appearances for mental health reasons, and we will match the fine with a $15,000 donation to @LaureusSport,” Calm followed up.

The company’s decision comes after Naomi first announced that she would not be doing any interviews with the press during the French Open, explaining that it’s harmful to her mental health.

After her first match, tournament organizers fined Naomi $15,000 for opting out of press appearances while also issuing her a warning of more substantial fines, including a possible suspension, if she continues to go against the rules and not speak with the press. She then withdrew from the tournament.

Naomi has been receiving lots of support from other athletes after her decision to withdraw from the tournament.