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Tokyo 2020: Naomi Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon, plans to compete in Olympics; Nadal skips both
- Osaka, a four-time grand slam winner, pulled out of this year’s French Open after saying she had experienced anxiety while participating in news conferences
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Naomi Osaka, the No 2 ranked female tennis player in the world, has withdrawn from Wimbledon but intends to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, her representatives said in a statement on Thursday.
Osaka, a four-time grand slam winner, pulled out of this year’s French Open after saying she had experienced anxiety while participating in news conferences. She initially said she would play but would skip the mandatory media sessions. However, she withdrew after organisers of the four grand slam events said they might ban her from their tournaments if she continued to violate media availability rules.
When she announced her withdrawal she said for the first time publicly she had suffered long bouts of depression since her victory over Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open final, a disclosure that opened discussions about the potentially adverse effects highly charged competition and its accompanying obligations can have on players’ mental health.
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Osaka, 24, was born in Japan to a Haitian father and Japanese mother. She lived in Japan until she was three and her family moved to the United States. Her success and her ability to speak Japanese have made her immensely popular among sports fans in her native country, which she represents in international competition. She has a wide-ranging endorsement portfolio and is a favourite subject in fashion and lifestyle publications. She lives in Los Angeles.
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“She is taking some personal time with friends and family,” the statement about her withdrawal from Wimbledon said. “She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.”
Rafael Nadal, the third-ranked men’s player in the world, also withdrew from Wimbledon on Thursday and added he will not compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Nadal, 35, is coming off a dramatic semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the French Open, where he had prevailed 13 times on the clay of Roland-Garros. Nadal was the flag bearer for Spain in the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a gold medal in doubles. He previously had won a gold medal in singles in 2008.
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