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Tennis star Novak Djokovic won the French Open on Sunday by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas at the culmination of two weeks of matches.
During that time, four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka refused to speak to the press prioritize his mental health. He was fined $ 15,000 and he had a chance to disqualify if he continued to refuse to work for the press and made him withdraw from the tournament.
“The truth is, I have suffered from long periods of depression since the US Open in 2018,” he wrote on tweet of his decision.
Osaka highlighted a problem that has been considered quiet or silent among athletes, said Seth Rose, a partner at the law firm Loeb & Loeb’s advanced media and technology department.
The president of the French Tennis Association told the Associated Press on Sunday that the tennis judges can do better on the mental health of athletes. The withdrawal of Osaka has sparked discussions about mental health and the responsibilities of athletes to the press. Thanks to millions of advertising and sponsorship dollars, it also raises questions about athletes ’commitment to brands and the visibility expected of them.
In another high-profile retreat, Roger Federer left the tournament after saying he was listening to his body and did not want to push himself too hard.
Rose explained that the advertising ecosystem of such events includes advertisers who buy commercial time during the event, official sponsors of the event, and sponsors who have relationships with athletes.
Rose said not all sponsorship agreements require performance at a particular event. Although he has no benefits from Federers or Partner agreements, he said there are built-in remedies if an athlete does not meet the requirements of the agreement.
It could be called a relative discount on the sponsorship fee paid by the sponsor, or it could be a mutually agreed-upon make-good clause where, for example, the athlete must perform elsewhere or post a certain amount on social media, according to Rose.
Large companies such as Mastercard and Nike who sponsor Osaka have supported the sports star.
The tournament continues regardless, but brands are investing in these people, and if you’re a Nike, you don’t want to have a reputation for not supporting your athlete, which you support, Rose said.
With regard to the events themselves, Rose said she thought the rules for interviewing and the need for a press could be relaxed in the future because the French Open doesn’t look good for refusing to take a person’s psychological needs into account.
He added the possibility that star players could negotiate something else, such as taking a rider or adding an addition to the contract, which could reduce the time they spend talking to the press for the event.
I could anticipate that some of the bigger names will have some leverage to be able to push back and have fewer requirements that Rose said.
Angeline Scheinbaum, an assistant professor of marketing at Clemson University, said that after Osaka’s withdrawal, it is now more accurate to look at the fines that athletes have to pay for withdrawal.
I think the solution for the sports industry and sports marketers is to grow and reflect that athletes, especially these superstars, are people with real physical and mental health problems, Scheinbaum said.
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