The prolific tennis player will be taking some time off from the sport.
On Sunday, Naomi Osaka, after her first victory at the French Open, opted to skip a mandatory press conference. As a result of this, the Grand Slam tournament organizers slapped her with a $15,000 fine and threatened to impose sanctions upon her should she continue to miss media obligations. Following this incident, Osaka announced in a public statement that she would be withdrawing from the French Open.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021
“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. “I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and message could have been clearer.”
In addition to this, Osaka announced that she would be taking a break from professional tennis, as she has been dealing with severe anxiety and depression since her first US Open victory in 2018, which was one of the reasons she skipped the conference that got her fined.
“I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media,” she said. “I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try and engage and give [the media] the best answers I can.”
I am so sad about Naomi Osaka.I truly hope she will be ok. As athletes we are taught to take care of our body, and perhaps the mental & emotional aspect gets short shrift. This is about more than doing or not doing a press conference. Good luck Naomi- we are all pulling for you!
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) May 31, 2021
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