Troubled by Mental Health Struggles Over the Years, Naomi Osaka Delves Deep Into the Different ‘Inner Voices’ That Dictate Her State of Mind

Naomi Osaka announced her pregnancy in January this year and with a halt on the court, Osaka has been focusing on herself. The stalwart icon of mental health awareness amongst the athletic community, Osaka has allowed players to express their vulnerable sides too. Now, Osaka talked about how she takes decisions both on and off the court, and how is that connected to her inner self.

As she is going to soon become a first-time mother, Osaka is keeping mainly out of the spotlight, and is focusing on herself. Recently, she was featured in an interview and talked about two elements that dictate her decisions.

Naomi Osaka breaks down the deal-maker and breaker of her mental health

It was in 2021 when Osaka shook the sports world. She withdrew from the French Open owing to her mental health. Consequently, that caused a stir in the tennis realm, as more players started to open up about their mental health issues.

In a recent interview with Hana Kuma, she opened up about her inner voice and how it affects her mental health. She stated, “I kind of feel like I have two inner voices. Usually, I try to listen to the one that is very nice. So, I would describe her as a ‘she’ and she is very soft-spoken and positive.”

However, there is another voice that is more assertive and hence comes when she is on the court. She added, “But sometimes when I am on the tennis court, it’s a different voice. It’s more stern.”

However, with a change in mindset and a long battle with her mental health issues, she has learned to filter out the harsh noise. She stated, “I hear from the gentle one now more. I don’t know if it’s because my mindset for a lot of things changed.”

She gently relayed what the soft voice feels like in her head. Osaka said, “I would say the very quiet voice is I hope Bob Marley’s, ‘Everything is gonna be alright’ song.” And this nice voice has been dictating her life nowadays. She concluded with, “The other one is a little bit harsher. But I haven’t heard the harsh voice in a while.” 

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All in all, Osaka seems to have come out of her poor mental health, which caused several problems in her career. Last year, she even started working with a psychologist. For that matter, French Open champion Iga Swiatek’s team has always expressed similar views regarding the mental health of athletes. 

Iga Swiatek climbs the mental barrier with her psychologist’s assistance

This has become a common practice in the athletic realm as we have seen with the incumbent world no. 1 Iga Swiatek relying on her psychologist to deal with the pressure.

Last year, during the French Open, she confessed how her psychologist has helped her deal with the pressure. She confessed that having her psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, on tour, has helped her relay her thoughts and apprehensions. Similarly, this year too she was happy that her psychologist was there for her hard-earned victory at the Roland Garros.

Do you think becoming the best player compensates well for the declining mental health due to pressure? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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