"...Sir, sir! Mr. Gao!"
The call came from far and near. Gawain shuddered, woke up, and subconsciously looked around to observe his position.
He came to his senses only after seeing the hotel he had become so familiar with in the past two weeks outside the car window. During the short drive back to the hotel from the stadium, he actually fell asleep.
"Huh... I'm sorry, I just wanted to close my eyes and take a rest, but I didn't expect... Haha, it seems I won't have to lose sleep tonight."
Gawain made a little joke to himself, and then he was about to get out of the car with his equipment bag, but the driver's voice came from the front, causing Gawain to pause slightly.
"Mr. Gao, today's game was very exciting."
Gawain was stunned for a moment, raised his gaze and looked in the rearview mirror, and then he could see the sparkle in the driver's eyes, with determination and enthusiasm.
It's light, but warm.
"Thanks."
The smile on Gawain's lips rose slightly, and the invisible weight that was heavy on his shoulders seemed to lighten a little, and the tight lines relaxed.
The game is very difficult, very very difficult, there is no doubt about it; but if you ask the players, they will probably say that the post-match press conference is the real torture, because the game is often simple and pure, but it takes countless hours to deal with reporters. Extra thoughts——
In 2021, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will encounter such a dilemma.
Because it carries countless expectations, and because its commercial value is rising steadily, and is considered to be the next generation leader after Serena Williams, once the performance on the field is lower than expected, the media will swarm around like sharks smelling blood. This also makes Naomi Osaka, who is delicate and sensitive, is miserable.
At the French Open that year, Osaka finally plucked up the courage to speak out, stating that she would refuse to attend the post-match press conference because the reporters' pursuit was detrimental to the players' mental health.
The French Open issued a warning and communicated with Osaka's team, but after winning the first round and advancing, Osaka still missed the post-match press conference.
According to the rules of the four Grand Slams, it is compulsory to attend the post-match press conference. If you are absent, you must accept a fine. Serena Williams and others have been fined. The French Open also issued a 15,000 to Naomi Osaka. dollar fine.
Immediately afterwards, the joint committee members of the four majors issued a warning that if Osaka continued to boycott the post-match press conference, she would receive a higher fine, and even be disqualified from the competition until she was banned from the majors.
Then, after careful consideration, Naomi Osaka directly announced her withdrawal.
In the statement, Osaka Naomi said that the current situation was something she did not expect at the beginning, nor was it what she wanted to see. She believed that it was the best for the event, other participating players, and her own mental health. The solution is to withdraw from the match and return the focus to the French Open.
At the press conference to withdraw from the game, Osaka Naomi said that reporters' questions have caused great harm to the mental health of players, and she herself has been suffering from long-term problems.
The statement also mentioned that he has been suffering from psychological depression for a long time since winning the US Open in 2018. It was even more like a nightmare when participating in the 2021 French Open. Every time he faced reporters, he was under great pressure, so he made the news about his absence. press conference decision.
"I have written a letter of apology to the organizing committee and expressed my willingness to communicate, but now I really need to say goodbye to the game for a while. I hope to discuss how to make the players, fans and media better in the future."
After the release of this statement, a storm of discussion arose on social networks. Many people believed that Naomi Osaka was creating a topic to attract attention; but these attacks also caused Naomi Osaka to fall into an even more painful abyss——
Later, she missed Wimbledon and did not return until the Olympic Games that year. As a result, she was upset in the third round due to the huge pressure, and she burst into tears at the press conference after the game.
In fact, because of the threat to her mental health, Osaka fell into a career low. Injuries ranging from psychological to physical made her withdraw from the ranks of top players.
The 2021 US Open and the 2022 Australian Open both stopped in the third round. Subsequently,
The French Open and the US Open both stopped in the first round, and Wimbledon was absent due to injury. He only won two Grand Slams throughout the year. The record of winning at least one Grand Slam title every year since 2018 ended, and the world rankings plummeted.
It is precisely because of this that the issue of players' mental health has been pushed to the forefront and has become a new focus.
In fact, Naomi Osaka is not the only one. Countless players have been embarrassed by reporters. There are also many male players, including Kei Nishikori, Pallley, Kyrgios, Wawrinka and other players. The post-match press conference got out of hand.
Even the four giants have been irritated by reporters at press conferences, including Nadal, the most honest and temperamental person, who once directly changed his face.
There is no doubt that it is the reporter's task to create explosive moments to irritate the players, so the post-game press conference often becomes a battlefield——
Just like today.
After waiting and waiting, reporters finally reached an important turning point:
No one will let go of Gawain easily.
From the end of the Grand Slam winning streak to the competition for world rankings to the reflections of this defeat, they launched an all-round attack, grabbing Gawain's wounds and rubbing them with salt. A little blood could no longer satisfy their needs. If needed, he even picks up a sharp knife and stirs it vigorously in the wound.
Bombing!
The light of the sword and the shadow of the sword!
Behind their aggressive pursuit, you can even feel the malice of schadenfreude, which also subtly changes the nature of the conversation.
Although Gao Wen was neither scared nor panicked, he took his time and leisurely manner throughout the press conference, which made reporters return without success one by one. He was able to turn defense into offense after seeing tricks, and the reporters on the scene were also miserable. ; But the consumption on the mental level is extremely considerable. The tension on the high-altitude steel rope that is teetering on the rope at all times completely eliminates the possibility of relaxation. The whole person feels like overdraft.
Tired, tired from the inside out, after the press conference that lasted for a full forty-five minutes, Gao Wen didn't even want to move a finger.
Moreover, fatigue is completely different from competition.
Perhaps, Gao Wen has never been afraid of the media, because this is his profession and he is also his peer. Reporters have no secrets in front of him. As long as they have the key, they will not be in trouble; but if Gao Wen had to choose, than Despite the 30-minute post-game press conference, he was still more willing to fight for three hours on the court.
Even after five hours of fierce fighting, Gawain might still make the same choice. The attacks from reporters are really... endless.
Now I have finally arrived at the hotel, but my mind is blank, I have no ideas, and the whole world has fallen into a hazy halo.
Then, Gawain saw Pu Lan——
For a moment, Gawain thought he was dazzled and had an illusion.
