SPORTS columnist Paul Daugherty reportedly made Naomi Osaka tear up today when the world No. 2 women’s tennis player was triggered by a question from the long-time Cincinnati Enquirer journalist.
According to New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, Daughtery asked what he believed to be “a fairly aggressively-toned question about how she benefits from a high-media profile but doesn’t like talking to media.”
That’s when Osaka began to cry and stepped away from the podium. He went on to add that Osaka did come back to finish off today’s press conference.
In her statement announcing her withdrawal from the French Open back in May after she was fined for skipping post-match media sessions, Osaka revealed she’s suffered from “long bouts of depression”. She also explained, “I get huge bouts of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media.”
The Enquirer‘s Daugherty has not responded about the interaction, but his bio on his Twitter page states, “I provoke honestly and always have the backs of the fans.”
Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, slammed the reporter in a statement posted by Rothenberg: “The bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player/media relations are so fraught right now. Everyone on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all wrong and his sole purpose was to intimidate.”
Duguid added, “And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off-court success to the media is a myth – don’t be so self-indulgent.” – Agencies, August 17, 2021
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