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Billie Jean King 'a little torn' on Osaka's French Open media boycott

GLYN KIRK / AFP / Getty

Tennis legend Billie Jean King admits she's "a little torn" on world No. 2 Naomi Osaka's decision not to speak with the press at this year's French Open.

"While it's important that everyone has the right to speak their truth, I have always believed that as professional athletes we have a responsibility to make ourselves available to the media," King wrote in a statement.

Osaka cited the need to preserve her mental health as the primary reason for her decision. The 23-year-old has already been fined $15,000 for failing to meet her media obligations following her 6-4, 7-6(4) first-round win over Romania's Patricia Maria Tig on Sunday. She could face expulsion from the tournament if the violations persist.

King played an instrumental role in popularizing women's tennis in the 1960s and 1970s, leveraging her considerable media savvy (and even more formidable on-court ability) to shine a brighter spotlight on the sport and financial inequities facing the women who populated the professional tour.

"In our day, without the press, nobody would have known who we are or what we thought," King wrote. "There is no question they helped build and grow our sport to what it is today."

Still, King said she respected and admired the way Osaka was using her platform and called upon media members to "respect certain boundaries."

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