'More friendly' - Amelie Mauresmo on Roland-Garros player support changes after Naomi Osaka withdrawal last year

Amelie Mauresmo has told Eurosport that changes have been made to the post-match experience in light of the issues Naomi Osaka had at the French Open 12 months ago. Four-time major winner Osaka caused a stir on the eve of Roland Garros last year when she said she would not take part in media assignments at the second Grand Slam of the year. Ad/> She was fined following her failure to attend a press conference after winning in the first round.

One day later, Osaka announced her withdrawal from the event — citing mental health issues. Roland-GarrosMauresmo 'crossing fingers' for Nadal, tips ‘the boss’ Swiatek to shine at French Open2 HOURS AGO Osaka subsequently took a break from the game, only returning for the Olympic Games in her native Japan. And Mauresmo says she battled with mental health during her career, but feels the advent of social media has made things more difficult for the current crop of players.

“It's something that I personally felt when I was playing,” Mauresmo told Eurosport. “Indeed, I think that it was not as bad as now, especially because there were no social media, or much less at the time. “So I think that today, this issue is even more present.

And indeed, I could see players sometimes very touched by what happens on the outside. And so the idea is to create this kind of cocoon, a bubble. The players are doing it more and more through their teams, quite simply.