Former Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor says Naomi Osaka‘s admission that she is not enjoying success is a “dangerous” sign that a professional athlete in any sport should take a break from the game.
Osaka, the world No.3, crashed out of the US Open this week after a loss to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez and then stunned the media in her press conference that followed when she announced her intention to take some time away from the sport.
MORE: Why it ‘makes sense’ for Osaka to take a break
The 23-year-old’s mental health struggles have been well-documented this year after withdrew from Roland-Garros and Wimbledon before returning for the Tokyo Olympics in August.
Taylor, who was at the helm of Australia’s men’s team in the mid-to-late 90s, said the fact that Osaka wasn’t enjoying the competition that comes with being an elite athlete means her decision to take a break is the correct one.
“I think she obviously needs a break from the tennis life,” he told Nine’s Sports Sunday.
“The dangerous thing that I heard in all that was that she’s not enjoying winning. If you’re not enjoying winning, you’re not enjoying the game, so therefore you need a break from the game and she probably needs a break from the life.
“If she ever wants to get back and play the game properly, as anyone would tell you no matter what sport you’re playing in, you’ve got to be enjoying the competition.
“Yes, you want to win, and you get disappointed when you lose, but it’s not the end of the world. That’s been lost in all the noise surrounding Naomi Osaka.”
Former Australian doubles star Casey Dellacqua also backed Osaka’s decision to step away, admitting the four-time Grand Slam winner’s teary press conference was a tough watch.
“It was difficult to watch because you could see how broken she is,” she told Sports Sunday.
“I think that’s a really wise choice for her at this point in time to really take that indefinite break to regroup.
“She’s young [and] she’s achieved so much already, but mental health always comes first.
“You can just tell in this moment that it’s time for her, particularly the year that’s been so up and down, the issues with the press and everything that’s gone on, it’s probably best she takes that time to really regroup and take a break.”