After French Withdrawal, Naomi Osaka Skips Wimbledon

Tennis star objects to media requirements during tournaments
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 17, 2021 2:30 PM CDT
Naomi Osaka Will Skip Wimbledon
Naomi Osaka in a file photo.   (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

She dropped out of the French Open, and now she's skipping Wimbledon. Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, “is taking some personal time with friends and family," says agent Stuart Duguid, per the AP. However, he says the native of Japan plans to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, "and is excited to play in front of her home fans.” The 23-year-old pulled out of the French tournament over the requirement that players must appear before the media immediately after matches. Osaka said it took too much of a toll on her mental health to do that.

Osaka had been negotiating with Wimbledon officials over media requirements before the announcement that she wouldn't compete, reports ESPN. Previously, she disclosed that she'd been dealing with anxiety and depression since 2018, when she won her first Grand Slam title and began attracting frenzied media attention. (Other athletes rallied to her defense after Osaka withdrew from the French tournament.)

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