Naomi Osaka probably made the best possible decision to withdraw from the French Open. The Japanese sensation hit the headlines right before the slam for announcing that she would not participate in the press conferences during the French Open, citing mental health. That sparked the outrage of the tennis community and beyond and the slams threatened to suspend her if she would not comply.
Naomi Osaka’s sister Mari also published a statement on Reddit trying to clarify the situation, but she made things worse with people doubting even the fact the Naomi Osaka was really struggling with mental health. Eventually, Mari had to delete her statement with an apology.
The pressure became too much, and eventually, Naomi decided to withdraw from the slam, releasing the following statement:
“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.
I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly, I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly.”
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021
About the depression
Naomi admitted that she has been struggling with depression after conquering the 2018 US Open to disclose:
“The truth is I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that.
Anyone that knows me knows I am introverted and anyone that has seen me at tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety.”
The big question is: will she play the Olympics?
Osaka at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2021
At the moment ranked no.2, Naomi owns a composed 14-3 match record in 2021. Osaka is participating at the French Open where she conquered Patricia Maria Tig 6-4 7-64.
Naomi Osaka |
| Embed from Getty Images |
