Venus Williams Says Reporters Asking Her Questions During Press Interviews Will Never ‘Light A Candle’ To Her While Sharing Support Towards Naomi Osaka

Venus Williams, Naomi Osaka

Venus Williams Says Reporters Asking Her Questions During Press Interviews Will Never ‘Light A Candle’ To Her While Sharing Support Towards Naomi Osaka

Venus Williams, 40, has recently gone viral over commentary she gave to show support towards Naomi Osaka, 23. During a recent French Open press interview, Venus Williams was asked if she’s dealt with any issues while doing press. Venus Williams didn’t bite her tongue while answering the question and said, 

“For me, personally, how I deal with it was that I know every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can and never will. So no matter what you say or what you write, you’ll never light a candle to me.”

The superstar athlete added,

“That’s how I deal with it. But each person deals with it differently.”

Venus Williams said your insults can’t reach me because you’re not at my level??pic.twitter.com/z6vGdIAJB5

— TV Fanatic??? (@TvKhaleesi) June 1, 2021

As previously reported, Naomi Osaka shocked the world and made headlines when she announced that she would be withdrawing from the French Open tournament on Monday (May 31).

Her announcement came after she was fined $15,000 for not participating in a post-match press conference following her first-round win on May 30. Naomi Osaka revealed before her first match that in order to protect her mental health she would not be engaging with the press during the tournament. 

Initially, after Naomi Osaka missed her first scheduled press event, officials of the French Open didn’t seem pleased with the young tennis player. In addition to fining her, they released a statement saying that more repercussions would follow if she continued skipping out on press events. However, after Naomi Osaka withdrew from the competition Grand Slam Officials released a new statement yesterday (Tuesday, June 1st) in support of Naomi Osaka‘s decision. The Grand Slam officials claimed:

“On behalf of the Grand Slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court. She is an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate.”

Their statement continued:

“Mental health is a very challenging issue, which deserves our utmost attention. It is both complex and personal, as what affects one individual does not necessarily affect another. We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling and we empathize with the unique pressures tennis players may face.”

Naomi Osaka

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