TENNIS
Naomi Osaka continues her boycott of the media and withdraws from Roland Garros
The Japanese tennis player continued her boycott of the media after criticism of clay play and has announced her exit from the French Tournament.
Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 when she did not show up to meet the press after her first-round win at Roland Garros this Sunday. This has prompted the world's number two to withdraw from the tournament.
"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," Said Osaka on her Twitter this Monday.
The decision to withdraw from the tournament comes after suffering harsh criticism of her play in clay surface. On a statement made last week, the four-time Grand Slam winner claimed that "I've often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health, and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one."
Moreover, Osaka commented on how athletes are asked questions they have "answered multiple times or asked questions that bring doubts in their minds … I'm just not going to subject myself to people who doubt me".
Depression after the U.S Open
On her Monday withdrawal Twitter statement, Osaka mentions that she has battled depression since the U.S. Open in 2018, adding that she has had a hard time coping with it.
The departure of one of the biggest tennis stars in the world will be a big blow for the French tournament. Furthermore, the Japanese exit opens a debate on depression and athletes and the pressure they are subjected to constantly at these big events.