US Open Champion Naomi Osaka on Monday stunned everyone by announcing that she had decided to withdraw from this French Open. This was after she was fine by the organisers over her decision to not speak to speak due to her ongoing mental health issues.
“Hey everyone, this isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago. I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,” Osaka wrote in a note.
Sharing the note on Twitter, she wrote, “I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer,” the four-time Grand Slam title winner said in her statement.”
She added, “The truth is I have suffered bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that.”
She went on to add, “In Paris, I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious so I thought it was better to exercise self-care and skip the press conferences.”
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021
“I announced it preemptively because I do feel like the rules are quite out-dated in parts and I wanted to highlight that,” the Japanese player.
Osaka said that she may want to discuss with the Slam organisers ways to deal with this issue in the future.
She concluded, “I wrote privately to the tournament apologising and saying that I would be more than happy to speak with them after the tournament as the Slams are intense. I’m gonna take some time away from the court now, but when the time is right I really want to work with the Tour to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans. Anyways hope you are all doing well and staying safe, love you guys. I’ll see you when I see you.”
Osaka said that she had suffered from a long bout of depression since winning the US Open in 2018.
23-year-old Japense tennis star was fined $15,000 on Sunday and threatened with disqualification by the organisers of the French Open after she refused to carry out a mandatory news conference following her first round win.