BEVERLY HILLS, May 31, (THEWILL) – World number two female tennis player, Naomi Osaka, on Monday, withdrew from the 2021 French Open. This comes a day after she was fined $15,000 for failing to meet her media requirements as she stayed true to her pre-tournament decision to boycott Press conferences due to mental health issues.
The Japanese star released a statement on her Twitter feed, saying she “never wanted to be a distraction” from the other players participating in the event.
THEWILL recalls that Osaka was immediately issued a formal warning after being slammed with the fine and a joint statement from the Slams warned that she could face a default from the competition, as a whole, if she continues to shun her media obligations.
She posted: “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. The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
