Tennis star Naomi Osaka took to social media to thank fans for their support after she pulled out of the ongoing French Open citing mental health concerns.
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Tennis star Naomi Osaka took to social media to thank fans for their support. Osaka had pulled out of the ongoing French Open citing mental health concerns.
“Just want to say thank you for all the love. Haven’t been on my phone much but I wanted to hop on here and tell you all that I really appreciate it,” she wrote on Instagram stories.
Osaka’s pull-out came on the back of her boycotting press conferences at Roland Garros. The reason she did so was to protect her own mental health. However, the backlash against it was fierce.
But after she pulled out of the Grand Slam, she got plenty of support from people around the world.
All four Grand Slams – Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open – supported her decision to withdraw from the ongoing Roland Garros.
“On behalf of the Grand Slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court. She is an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate,” the four Grand Slams said in a joint statement.
Ironically, this came a few days after the French Open Twitter page mocked Naomi Osaka for her stance. The French Open tournament director also criticised her and fined her 15,000 USD for missing the press conference following her win in the 1st round.
But after facing backlash and growing support for Osaka, the Gran Slams gave their support as well.
“Mental health is a very challenging issue, which deserves our utmost attention. It is both complex and personal, as what affects one individual does not necessarily affect another. We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling and we empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face,” the statement further said.
As of now, it remains unclear when Osaka will be back on the court. Wimbledon and the Olympics are set to get underway after the French Open. However, whether she takes part in these events remains to be seen.
