Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday and wrote on Twitter that she could be taking a break from competitors, a dramatic flip of occasions for a four-time Grand Slam champion who stated she has “suffered lengthy bouts of melancholy.”Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, confirmed in an e mail to The Related Press that the world’s No. 2-ranked tennis participant was pulling out earlier than her second-round match on the clay-court match in Paris.The gorgeous transfer got here a day after Osaka, a 23-year-old who was born in Japan and moved along with her household to the U.S. at age 3, was fined $15,000 for skipping the postmatch information convention after her first-round victory on the French Open. She additionally was threatened by all 4 Grand Slam tournaments with doable extra punishment, together with disqualification or suspension, if she continued along with her intention — which Osaka revealed final week on Twitter — to not “do any press throughout Roland Garros.”She framed the matter as a psychological well being problem, saying that it may possibly create self-doubt to need to reply questions after a loss.”Initially we’re sorry and unhappy for Naomi Osaka. The result of Naomi withdrawing from Roland Garros is unlucky,” French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton stated Monday. “We want her one of the best and the quickest doable restoration. And we sit up for having Naomi in our match subsequent 12 months.”Moretton stated the 4 main tournaments, and the skilled tennis excursions, “stay very dedicated to all athletes’ well-being and to repeatedly bettering each facet of gamers’ expertise in our match, together with with the media, like we at all times have.”In Monday’s submit, Osaka spoke about coping with melancholy for the reason that 2018 U.S. Open, which she received by beating Serena Williams in a closing full of controversy.”I’d by no means trivialize psychological well being or use the time period evenly,” Osaka wrote.She additionally stated talking with the media makes her anxious.”I believe now one of the best factor for the match, the opposite gamers and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everybody can get again to specializing in the tennis occurring in Paris,” Osaka wrote. “I by no means needed to be a distraction and I settle for that my timing was not supreme and my message may have been clearer.”She continued: “Anybody that is aware of me is aware of I am introverted, and anybody that has seen me on the tournaments will discover that I am typically sporting headphones as that helps uninteresting my social anxiousness. … I’m not a pure public speaker and get big waves of tension earlier than I converse to the world’s media.”Osaka has by no means been previous the third spherical on the French Open’s pink clay. It takes seven victories to win a Grand Slam title, which she has achieved 4 occasions at hard-court tournaments: the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2023; the Australian Open in 2019 and this February.”Right here in Paris I used to be already feeling susceptible and anxious so I believed it was higher to train self-care and skip the press conferences,” she wrote.Tennis gamers are required to attend information conferences if requested to take action. The utmost positive of $20,000 shouldn’t be an enormous deal to Osaka, the world’s highest-earning feminine athlete due to endorsement contracts totaling tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.”Psychological well being and consciousness round it is without doubt one of the highest priorities to the WTA,” the ladies’s tennis tour stated in a press release emailed by a spokeswoman. “Now we have invested important sources, staffing and academic instruments on this space for the previous 20-plus years and proceed to develop our psychological well being assist system for the betterment of the athletes and the group. We stay right here to assist and help Naomi in any method doable and we hope to see her again on the court docket quickly.”Different gamers, notably 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal and No. 1-ranked Ash Barty, have stated they respect Osaka’s proper to take a stance however defined that they think about talking to reporters a part of the job.After Osaka’s submit Monday, a number of athletes in tennis and different sports activities tweeted their assist.Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, wrote: “I’m so unhappy about Naomi Osaka. I really hope she will likely be OK. As athletes we’re taught to deal with our physique, and maybe the psychological & emotional facet will get quick shrift. That is about greater than doing or not doing a press convention. Good luck Naomi- we’re all pulling for you!”Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry wrote that it was “spectacular taking the excessive street when the powers that be dont defend their very own. main respect.”___AP Sports activities Author Sam Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.
Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open on Monday and wrote on Twitter that she could be taking a break from competitors, a dramatic flip of occasions for a four-time Grand Slam champion who stated she has “suffered lengthy bouts of melancholy.”
Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, confirmed in an e mail to The Related Press that the world’s No. 2-ranked tennis participant was pulling out earlier than her second-round match on the clay-court match in Paris.
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The gorgeous transfer got here a day after Osaka, a 23-year-old who was born in Japan and moved along with her household to the U.S. at age 3, was fined $15,000 for skipping the postmatch information convention after her first-round victory on the French Open. She additionally was threatened by all 4 Grand Slam tournaments with doable extra punishment, together with disqualification or suspension, if she continued along with her intention — which Osaka revealed final week on Twitter — to not “do any press throughout Roland Garros.”
She framed the matter as a psychological well being problem, saying that it may possibly create self-doubt to need to reply questions after a loss.
“Initially we’re sorry and unhappy for Naomi Osaka. The result of Naomi withdrawing from Roland Garros is unlucky,” French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton stated Monday. “We want her one of the best and the quickest doable restoration. And we sit up for having Naomi in our match subsequent 12 months.”
Moretton stated the 4 main tournaments, and the skilled tennis excursions, “stay very dedicated to all athletes’ well-being and to repeatedly bettering each facet of gamers’ expertise in our match, together with with the media, like we at all times have.”
In Monday’s submit, Osaka spoke about coping with melancholy for the reason that 2018 U.S. Open, which she received by beating Serena Williams in a closing full of controversy.
“I’d by no means trivialize psychological well being or use the time period evenly,” Osaka wrote.
She additionally stated talking with the media makes her anxious.
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“I believe now one of the best factor for the match, the opposite gamers and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everybody can get again to specializing in the tennis occurring in Paris,” Osaka wrote. “I by no means needed to be a distraction and I settle for that my timing was not supreme and my message may have been clearer.”
She continued: “Anybody that is aware of me is aware of I am introverted, and anybody that has seen me on the tournaments will discover that I am typically sporting headphones as that helps uninteresting my social anxiousness. … I’m not a pure public speaker and get big waves of tension earlier than I converse to the world’s media.”
Osaka has by no means been previous the third spherical on the French Open’s pink clay. It takes seven victories to win a Grand Slam title, which she has achieved 4 occasions at hard-court tournaments: the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2023; the Australian Open in 2019 and this February.
“Right here in Paris I used to be already feeling susceptible and anxious so I believed it was higher to train self-care and skip the press conferences,” she wrote.
Tennis gamers are required to attend information conferences if requested to take action. The utmost positive of $20,000 shouldn’t be an enormous deal to Osaka, the world’s highest-earning feminine athlete due to endorsement contracts totaling tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
“Psychological well being and consciousness round it is without doubt one of the highest priorities to the WTA,” the ladies’s tennis tour stated in a press release emailed by a spokeswoman. “Now we have invested important sources, staffing and academic instruments on this space for the previous 20-plus years and proceed to develop our psychological well being assist system for the betterment of the athletes and the group. We stay right here to assist and help Naomi in any method doable and we hope to see her again on the court docket quickly.”
Different gamers, notably 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal and No. 1-ranked Ash Barty, have stated they respect Osaka’s proper to take a stance however defined that they think about talking to reporters a part of the job.
After Osaka’s submit Monday, a number of athletes in tennis and different sports activities tweeted their assist.
Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, wrote: “I’m so unhappy about Naomi Osaka. I really hope she will likely be OK. As athletes we’re taught to deal with our physique, and maybe the psychological & emotional facet will get quick shrift. That is about greater than doing or not doing a press convention. Good luck Naomi- we’re all pulling for you!”
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry wrote that it was “spectacular taking the excessive street when the powers that be dont defend their very own. main respect.”
___
AP Sports activities Author Sam Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.
