Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the 2021 French Open after she was threatened with expulsion over her press boycott and the tennis world has been quick to react to the news.
The world number two caused a storm on the eve of the tournament when revealing she would not attend any press conferences at Roland Garros on account of mental health concerns.
As a result, following her win over Patricia Tig in the first round on Sunday (May. 31, 2021), Osaka was true to her word as she failed to attend the post-match press conference.
In what is a huge shock, she has now announced that she has withdrawn from the tournament ahead of her second-round match.
The Japanese star released the statement in the form of a social media post in which she explained the reasons for her withdrawal – and for her decision to avoid press conferences in the first place.
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“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,” Osaka said.
“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 trivialise 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.”
The reaction has been swift with the tennis community rallying around Osaka in the wake of her decision.
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