NASCAR's Bubba Wallace 'can totally relate to' Naomi Osaka opening up about mental health

When Naomi Osaka announced she was withdrawing from the French Open after being threatened with disqualification over refusal to speak with the media due to her struggles with mental health, many athletes came to her side. 

One of the athletes to voice support for Osaka was NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. The 27-year-old told NBC Sports that he can relate to what the Japanese tennis star is going through. 

"Showing your signs of what you're going through is not a sign of weakness," Wallace said. "It's actually very powerful and encouraging others to speak out and to be strong about what they feel.

"Any profession you do, you grow up and practice how to play tennis, you grow up and practice how to race cars. Everything else falls into place, talking in front of media, talking in front of crowds, being a public speaker. None of that is practiced. … I can totally relate to what she's saying. It's tough for anybody."

Over the last few years, Wallace has spoken publicly about his challenges with depression and some of his methods for managing it. In 2019, he said he's "never looked at it as a sign of weakness or coming out and talking about any issue."

Osaka's decision to withdraw came after she was fined $15,000 for refusing to speak with the media following her first-round victory over Patricia Maria Tig. 

She said before the French Open that she would not speak with the press and wanted to take a stand against the impact of interviews on the psychological welfare of all players.