Naomi Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon: Women's tennis World No. 2 Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, according to a statement from her team. She is, however, gearing up for the Tokyo Olympics.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who was recently in the news for the French Open exit when she faced backlash over the media boycott, said she is taking some personal time with friends and family, her agent told reporters. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans, he noted.
Sports Illustrated's Jon Wetheim tweeted the news about Osaka's decision to withdraw from the Wimbledon:
The 23-year-old was born to a Japanese mother and Haitian father. Her family moved to the United States when Osaka was just three years old. Osaka has previously ranked No. 1 and is currently World No. 2; she was the highest-earning female athlete last year and was also named the 2020 AP Female Athlete of the Year. She has won a total of six titles in her career, having clinched two of the last three majors with the last year’s US Open and Australian Open titles this year.
Recently, she quit the French Open despite a first-round victory after organisers fined her when she refused to attend mandatory post-match press conferences. The Japanese player reasoned that there was “nothing personal” against the tournament or journalists and that she hoped organisers would reconsider their approach and don’t just continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes. Read more here.
With Tokyo Olympics opening in under two months on July 23, Osaka will compete as the third tennis representative for Japan who qualified automatically based on their ATP and WTA singles rankings as of June 14. It will mark her Olympic debut.
How social media reacted
Fans and well-wishers are mostly being supportive of Osaka’s decision to quit Wimbledon this year. She has been in the spotlight since withdrawing from the French Open, citing her struggle with depression and anxiety. "Mental Health matters and anyone who disagrees or thinks high-level athletes are an exception should take a look in the mirror. We all struggle, some are more exposed than others," one user wrote on Twitter. "Men in the replies with tons of opinions but forget stories like Hayden Hurst and WHY taking care of ones mental health is important and shouldn’t be dismissed. Good for Naomi," wrote another.
Similarly, many supported Osaka's decision saying, "good for her, she should only play when she wants to. she doesn't owe anything to anyone but herself. You have to look out for your own well-being because no one else is gonna, you have to be your number one priority." Promoting further one user confirmed that mental health always comes first. She wrote, "Rafa and Naomi announced that they have withdrawn from Wimbledon - while listening to their body/mental health needs. This is a message for anyone who thinks they can hustle till they tear their muscles apart. It is important to ‘Listen’ when your body or mind needs you!"
Another person said, "As someone struggling with anxiety, I'm a fan of Naomi Osaka. She's each of us and she's taking a stand. Thank you," while another asked, "Where is the outrage at these institutions that maintain unhealthy work environments for athletes where is the protest?" adding "This needs to change for Naomi so that media is not allowed to be prioritized over someone's mental health. It needs to change for Serena so she isn't disqualified for wearing an outfit designed to support her health." Read more here.
Check out some tweets on Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from Wimbledon:
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