After withdrawing from the French Open due to mental health issues, Naomi Osaka says former first lady Michelle Obama, sports stars Novak Djokovic, Michael Phelps, and Steph Curry were among those who came out to give support.
Naomi Osaka acknowledges that she should have anticipated the backlash following her choice to skip news conferences at the French Open, but she has requested more “privacy and understanding” when she returns to action.
To safeguard her mental health, Osaka stated in May that she would not attend in post-match press conferences at Roland Garros.
She admitted that she had been depressed since winning her first Grand Slam championship at the US Open in 2018 and that speaking to the media made her anxious.
The four Grand Slams, however, responded angrily to Osaka’s decision, issuing a united statement threatening her with disqualification and a ban from future tournaments if she did not rethink.
The 23-year-old withdrew from the French Open after winning in the first round and later from Wimbledon, but she is set to compete in this summer’s Olympics in her home nation of Japan.
“The world is as divided currently as I can remember in my short 23 years,” the world No. 2 Osaka wrote in an essay for a special issue of Time magazine prior to the Olympics.
“Issues that seem self-evident to me, such as wearing a mask during a pandemic or kneeling to express support for anti-racism, are hotly debated. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
“So, when I said I needed to miss the press conferences for the French Open to take care of myself mentally, I should have anticipated what happened.
“I felt compelled to reveal my problems, primarily because the press and tournament officials did not believe me. I also don’t want to be subjected to a re-examination of my personal medical history.
“So, the next time we meet, I beg for some privacy and sensitivity from the press. I hope that people can empathise and understand that it’s OK to be unhappy and to talk about it.
Following Osaka’s exit from the French Open, she received a flood of support from prominent tennis players and athletes, including Venus and Serena Williams, Formula One winner Lewis Hamilton, and former Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt.
Encouragement from American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian, was especially motivating for her.
“According to Michael Phelps, I may have saved a life by speaking up. If that’s the case, everything was worth it “she stated
Following her withdrawal from Wimbledon, Osaka is now concentrating on a victorious comeback to the Tokyo Olympics on home turf.
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