Tennis star Naomi Osaka rarely uses social media for the sake of her mental health.
Mental wellness was a major topic during a recent interview that Osaka had with People to promote her Brave Together campaign with Maybelline. As a Brave Together ambassador, Osaka’s mission is to uplift those struggling with anxiety and depression with the campaign’s objective to fund free professional support and provide mental health resources.
“I think most people don’t know that mental health is as important as your physical health, and in some ways, it might be more important,” the mother-of-one told People.
Osaka, 26, added that she’s “fortunate” to have “been learning about mental health for quite a couple years now,” and she’s become “more prepared” through practices of meditation and having a traveling mental health coach.
While Osaka has spoken up about mental health in past social media posts and a 2021 TIME essay, what’s especially helped the four-time Grand Slam singles champion is refraining from social media.
“I would say that I’m not as involved in social media anymore, just because I began to feel like it was very negative, I guess when people started knowing of me more,” she said. “So I kind of disconnected myself from that. I know that social media in a way is a little bit unavoidable, so I think that I’m still learning.”
Last Thursday, Osaka ripped into a fan on Threads for calling her a “fluke” after she withdrew from a China Open match due to a lower back injury. Before then, Osaka had taken an 18-month hiatus from tennis following the birth of her daughter, Shai, whom she shares with rapper Cordae.
“I just saw someone call me a fluke. How is it possible to be a fluke with 4 Grand Slams, lighting the Olympic torch, beating multiple top 20 opponents and being close to top 50 the year after giving birth?” Osaka wrote, reminding followers of her resume.
She continued, “FOH, you couldn’t even touch one of my accomplishments with your fingernail.”
