Naomi Osaka quits French Open

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open in the midst of a debate over her choice not to go to news meetings after her matches. The astonishing new development that Osaka reported via social media. This came a day after the four-time Grand Slam champion was fined $15,000. She avoided the news conference following her initial match victory on Sunday.

Notwithstanding the fine, every one of the four Grand Slam competitions—Australian, French, and United States Opens just as Wimbledon—threatened her with harsher punishments, including possible exclusions or suspensions.

“I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being are that I withdraw so that everyone can go back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,” Osaka said.

Depression

She had never before spoken in public about her depression. It began after her 2018 victory over Serena Williams at the United States Open. Before a boisterous crowd that was firmly behind her opponent.

“I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer,” she added. “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.” 

Read More: Abu Dhabi likely to host PSL 6 remaining matches

Moreover, the debate between Ms. Osaka and competition authorities started on Wednesday when she declared she would avoid post-match news gatherings during the French Open since she said negative inquiries regarding her play influenced her psychological well-being.

Furthermore, it reached a critical stage on Sunday after her first-round success, and she followed through on her guarantee to skip the news conference.