"It shows Naomi Osaka is human, we always have to pretend everything is perfect": Eugenie Bouchard reflects on Japanese star's mental health activism

Eugenie Bouchard recently gave Naomi Osaka her due, with tennis players acknowledging their mental health struggles more and more these days. The former World No. 5 also spoke about struggling with the weight of expectations before her matches.

Osaka's move to safeguard her mental health has brought her infamy many times. The former World No. 1 withdrew from the 2021 French Open after deciding to boycott press conferences, where players often field sensitive questions. The decision wasn't received well by the tennis community.

Naomi Osaka took a sabbatical from professional tennis following the controversy that year. And while the Japanese star has yet to regain the form that saw her win four Major titles, her 2021 French Open saga and subsequent mental health advocacy have made her an icon of the sport.

Against that background, Eugenie Bouchard was asked on 'The Mental Game by Brandon Saho' podcast about Osaka's impact on the discourse surrounding the reception of tennis players' struggles. The Canadian claimed that Osaka's openness humanized the rest of her peers in the fans' eyes.

"I think it has been great. It shows that she (Naomi Osaka) is human and creates a relatability factor where we don't have to pretend all the time," Eugenie Bouchard said on Brandon Saho's podcast (37:07). "And that's how I felt when I was younger, everyone was pretending, so I had to pretend."

"Even though we have days where we are feeling lost and we feel terrible. Or we have a tournament coming up, and we don't feel confident, and we always have to pretend everything was perfect all the time."

---

Eugenie Bouchard compares Naomi Osaka to normal people: "In a normal person's job, they don't feel like going to work"

Naomi Osaka exits the 2024 Madrid Open

Eugenie Bouchard further asserted that Naomi Osaka doubling down on protecting her mental health broke an age-old tennis 'facade' that suggests that professional athletes must train every day without complaining, as it is their job.

"And really it just broke that facade, I think it helps not just other athletes but all normal people to be like, 'Hey, this superstar is human and feels terrible about this tournament and doesn't wanna play, doesn't wanna do this,'" Eugenie Bouchard said (37:34). "And it just makes us feel like it can almost bring everyone together? You know what I mean? We're not so all far apart!"

Bouchard added that there wasn't much of a difference between elite players and fans while alluding to her own occasional struggles.

"In a normal person's job, they don't feel like going to work. When I wake up sometimes, [I'm like] I don't wanna play a tennis match," she said (38:01). "I just feel so much pressure and anxiety, I don't wanna play. And I think that makes us feel so much more relatable."