Take it from Naomi Osaka: ‘Mental health is as important as your physical health’

In honor of World Mental Health Day, Naomi Osaka opens up about the impact social media has had on her mental health.

October 10 is World Mental Health Day, and Naomi Osaka is reminding us all to make mental health a priority. As Maybelline’s first “Brave Together” ambassador, the tennis star will assist the cosmetics brand in its new campaign, working to make professional mental health resources readily available to those battling anxiety and depression. 

“I think most people don’t know that mental health is as important as your physical health, and in some ways, it might be more important,” Osaka told People magazine, adding, “…there’s a little bit of a negative connotation around [anxiety and depression] sometimes, and I feel like it’s important for people to know that these feelings or just mental health, in general, is completely normal, and we shouldn’t be looking at people like they’re weak or they can’t discuss these feelings.”

“[For] a brand as big as Maybelline…to have created such an amazing program about it and just be willing to discuss it and bring it to the forefront is definitely very powerful,” she added.

Throughout her career, Osaka has publicly faced a number of vulnerable moments that have placed a spotlight on her mental health. In 2021, the tennis star withdrew from the French Open and Wimbledon tournaments to focus on her mental fitness. A year later, Osaka was brought to tears after being heckled by fans at the 2022 Indian Wells Tennis Competition.

“I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly,” the athlete wrote in a 2021 statement. “The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018, and I have had a really hard time coping with that.” 

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Today, the four-time Grand Slam champion feels “fortunate” to have “been learning about mental health for quite a couple of years now” and is now equipped with tools and resources to cope. While the star has incorporated various mental health care elements into her lifestyle, she admits that her mental health journey is ongoing, especially when it comes to social media. 

“I would say that I’m not as involved in social media anymore, just because I began to feel like it was very negative, I guess when people started knowing of me more,” she explained. “So I kind of disconnected myself from that. I know that social media in a way is a little bit unavoidable, so I think that I’m still learning.”

In July 2023, Osaka also stepped into a new role, as “mom” to her daughter Shai, whom she shares with rapper Cordae. While motherhood has unlocked new joys and confidence within her, the 27-year-old admits it has also revealed new stresses. As a self-proclaimed “over-thinker,” Osaka revealed that she’s already planning to discuss mental health with her daughter. 

“I want [Shai] to feel like her feelings are valid, and nothing that she’s going through should make her feel like she’s isolated,” she explained. “I think the biggest thing is that I want her to feel supported throughout her journey and throughout her feelings because I think everyone goes through their own life, and we all just want to feel supported in that journey.”

As an advocate for mental health in sports and beyond, Osaka ultimately has learned that it’s OK not to be OK. 
“It has become apparent to me that literally everyone either suffers from issues related to their mental health or knows someone who does,” she wrote in a personal essay for Time magazine. “There can be moments for any of us where we are dealing with issues behind the scenes. Each of us as humans is going through something on some level.”

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