So you want a break from the news?

Great athletes sometimes walk away from the pressure for a while. No wonder news consumers imagine a similar luxury.

A top tennis player’s break from the game could be a useful example for all of us. (Deposithoto by Zuchovsky)

Naomi Osaka has been hanging out in the Greek islands lately, we’re told, relaxing on a yacht and partying in Mykonos. As one of the world’s top tennis players, she might otherwise have been playing in this week’s Argentina Open, or maybe the Dow Classic in Michigan. But she’s taking some time off.¹

Probably you know why, even if you can’t recall a single other professional female athlete not named Williams. The world witnessed Osaka’s tearful summer meltdowns and heard her frank revelation of her struggle against depression. So it wasn’t a surprise when she decided to step away from tennis for a while, saying she needed to protect her mental health.

Then, about the time that Osaka headed to Greece, the Women’s Sports Foundation did something remarkable: It honored her with the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, which it presents when it wants to mark great role models. In citing Osaka,…