Naomi Osaka fined $15,000 for skipping French Open media

Paris, May 30

Naomi Osaka was fined USD 15,000 by the French Open tournament referee for skipping the post-match news conference after her first-round victory — and threatened with stiffer penalties if she continues to avoid her media obligations.

The penalty was announced in a joint statement from the president of the French tennis federation, Gilles Moretton, and the heads of the other three Grand Slam tournaments.

The statement also said that Osaka has been “advised” that “should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further Code of Conduct infringement consequences.”  

Citing the rule book, the statement notes that “tougher sanctions” from “repeat violations” could include default from the tournament and “the trigger of a major offense investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions.”

Osaka announced Wednesday in a Twitter post that she would not be taking part in news conferences during the French Open. AP