Lewis Hamilton backs Naomi Osaka in news conference row

Lewis Hamilton

Seven -time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton called on Thursday for more support for young athletes dealing with media duties after tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open citing her mental health.

Osaka withdrew from the tournament on Monday after she was fined for refusing to attend the post-match news conference following her first-round victory.

"The way they reacted was not good with the fine and someone talking about their personal mental health and then being fined for it, that wasn't cool. I think they could have definitely handled it better, I'm sure. I hope they will take a deep dive into it and find a better way to navigate in the future," Hamilton said.

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