By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Naomi Osaka will not be playing in the second round of the 2021 French Open after confirming her withdrawal from the Grand Slam tournament.
After continuing her media boycott during her first-round victory, Osaka was slapped with a $15,000 fine by the board of Grand Slam.
Osaka then posted a lengthy message in her Twitter account expressing her decision to exit early in the French Open and citing mental health issues.
“This isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago. 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,” posted Osaka.
To recall, Osaka was unexpectedly booed by the crowd during her 2018 US Open championship-clinching match against Serena Williams.
Williams surprisingly broke down during the 2018 finals against Osaka and threw her racket after seeing herself on the brink of elimination.
Instead of applauding the champion from Japan, the crowd showed their support to an emotional Williams rather than congratulating Osaka.
“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. Anyone that knows me knows I’m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety,” continued Osaka.
