We’re Finally Starting to Revolt Against the Cult of Ambition
Ms. Korducki is a writer and editor based in New York City. She is the author of “Hard To Do: The Surprising, Feminist History of Breaking Up.”
This week, a woman ambitious enough to become the world’s second-ranked women’s tennis player at 23 chose to prioritize her personal well-being above the opportunity to play in one of her sport’s most critical tournaments.
Naomi Osaka announced Monday that she would withdraw from the French Open, just days after tennis officials fined her $15,000 and threatened to oust her from the tournament for opting out of its mandatory news conferences. Ms. Osaka explained via Twitter that speaking to the international media takes a heavy toll on her mental health, compounding the anxiety inherent to Grand Slam tournaments. “I thought it was better to exercise self-care,” she wrote, adding that the tournament’s rules mandating press access are “outdated.”
Setting aside the unfair public scrutiny that is often leveled at Black women athletes like Ms. Osaka, the tennis star’s choice echoes another, broader phenomenon. Far and wide, in public and in private, workers are choosing personal boundaries over professional ambitions. Rather than comply with mandates to return to the office, employees are quitting altogether. Job vacancies in the United States are at a 20-year high.
