Tennis star Naomi Osaka fined $15K for not speaking to French Open media

May 30 (UPI) -- Women's tennis star Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 for skipping her mandatory news conference after her first-round victory at the French Open on Sunday.

Osaka could face stiffer punishment, including default from the Grand Slam tournament, if she continues to avoid media appearances.

In a joint statement from the four Grand Slam tournaments, the organizations said they had reached out to Osaka after she previously announced she wouldn't participate in her media obligations and reminded her of the consequences laid out in the 2021 rulebook should she opt out.

The four tournaments, which also include the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open, said there could be further and larger consequences if Osaka continues to avoid speaking to the media.

"As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament (Code of Conduct article III T.) and the trigger of a major offense investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions (Code of Conduct article IV A.3.)," the statement read.

"We want to underline that rules are in place to ensure all players are treated exactly the same, no matter their stature, beliefs or achievement. As a sport there is nothing more important than ensuring no player has an unfair advantage over another, which unfortunately is the case in this situation if one player refuses to dedicate time to participate in media commitments while the others all honor their commitments."

The organizations called the engagement of players with media members a "core element of the Grand Slam regulations" and an important piece of the sport's growth. The statement also referenced Osaka's citing of her mental health in her decision to avoid news conferences and said it was a priority of the Grand Slam tournaments.

The second-seeded Osaka beat Patricia Maria Tig 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the opening round at Roland Garos. Osaka took part in an on-court interview after the win and said her game on clay courts is a "work in progress."

After the match, Osaka tweeted: "Anger is a lack of understanding. Change makes people uncomfortable."

The 23-year-old Osaka, who has won four Grand Slam singles titles, is scheduled to face Ana Bogdan on Tuesday in the second round.