Women's Tennis Association star Naomi Osaka broke down in tears after being asked why she withdrew from the French Open to focus on her mental health.
Osaka, 23, was asked "how she benefits from a high-media profile but doesn't like talking to media," according to the New York Post.
Subsequently, Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid said the question's tone was "all wrong and (the reporter’s) sole purpose was to intimidate.”
Osaka then began to tear up, stepping away from the podium to collect herself.
But the tennis pro later returned to finish the press conference.
Duguid added that “the bully at the Cincinnati Enquirer is the epitome of why player / media relations are so fraught right now. Everyone on that Zoom will agree that his tone was all wrong and his sole purpose was to intimidate. Really appalling behavior."
“And this insinuation that Naomi owes her off-court success to the media is a myth – don’t be so self-indulgent,” he added.
Osaka, who had taken a break from significant tennis competitions after bouts of depression, later returned to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this year.