LONDON (Reuters) - The relationship between tennis players and the media needs to evolve and the sport must also do more to help the younger generation deal with negative comments on social media, Roger Federer said.
The issue of players’ mental health came into the spotlight after Japan’s Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open in a row with tournament officials over media duties.
Osaka said she had been suffering from depression and anxiety and that interacting with the media had sometimes had a negative impact on her.
Federer, who shares the men’s record of 20 major titles with Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic, said the situation needed a rethink.
“I think players, the tournaments, journalists, we need to sit down together in a room and go, “OK, what would work for you and what works for us ...” Federer told the British GQ magazine on Monday.
“We need a revolution. Or at least an evolution of where we are today.