"They gave Naomi Osaka such scrutiny" – Fans recall backlash against Japanese as Andrey Rublev receives sympathy for speaking on mental health issues

Andrey Rublev’s recent comments about his struggles with mental health saw fans who praised his honesty. However, amid this support, many couldn’t help but remember how Naomi Osaka was treated when she spoke about her own struggles.

In a recent interview with journalist Reem Abulleil in Dubai, Rublev opened up about battling depression in the last few years. The Russian is known for having soft moments with fans on and off the court but has also had difficult moments that include smashing his racket and sometimes, even hurting himself.

In his interview, the 27-year-old claimed he was stuck in a "loop." He did not understand the purpose of anything in the past few years but conversations with two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin helped him out of that loop

“I'm not happy, I'm not in a good or bad place, but I'm not feeling any more stress, I'm not feeling anxious, I'm not having depression. I'm just neutral, not happy, not bad, but at least I found the base and that's like a beginning," Rublev said.

His comments were posted on Reddit and fans expressed sympathy for the Russian showing him support.

"This takes crazy courage and vulnerability and it's so important to talk about it openly wish him all the best truly," one fan wrote.

"Bless this guy. Not many people, and especially men, find the courage to be this open and honest about their struggles. Fingers crossed for him," another fan wrote.

While it’s good to see Rublev being supported, many believe Osaka deserved the same level of empathy when she first opened up. When Osaka withdrew from the 2021 French Open, citing anxiety and depression, she faced intense criticism. Some accused her of using mental health as an excuse, and tournament officials even fined her for skipping press conferences.

"Tough to speak on these things and kudos to him. I feel sad for players like Osaka who’ve spoken up about similar things and get criticism for being weak or a “head case.” Hopefully more players speaking on it helps with that," one fan wrote.

"And they gave Naomi Osaka such scrutiny. Everyone needs to apologize. Since she expresses mental health issues, many tennis players and athletes came out and expressed their struggle," another fan wrote.

Comment byu/WolfTitan99 from discussion intennis

"Naomi Osaka talked about her depression yet the media attacked her and vilified. Yet this guy gets sympathy lol," a third fan recalled.

"I wish the comments were as kind to her as they are to him here," yet another fan wrote.

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A look at Andrey Rublev and Naomi Osaka's respective 2025 seasons

Naomi Osaka at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

Andrey Rublev has already played several tournaments less than two months into 2025. He began his season with a disappointing loss at the Hong Kong Open before more misery ensued with another campaign opening loss at the Australian Open.

At the ATP 250 event in Montpellier, Rublev registered his first wins and reached the semifinal. After a quarterfinal finish in Rotterdam, he finally earned his first title of the season in Qatar defeating Jack Draper in the final. Up next, Rublev will take on Quentin Halys in Dubai on Tuesday, February 25.

Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka's injury-hit end to 2024 has continued into 2025. She reached the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland early in January but had to retire mid-match after winning the first set.

She returned at the Australian Open and played some great tennis but in the third round, she retired mid-match again. After a month's hiatus due to injury, Osaka has confirmed that she will play at the WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells in March.