Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Wimbledon But Still Plans Olympic Run

Naomi Osaka—who dropped out of the French Open last month citing concerns about her mental health—will not take part in this year's Wimbledon tournament but still plans to compete for Japan in the Olympics Games, scheduled to begin next month in Tokyo, according to a statement released by her agent Thursday. A few days before the start of the French Open, Osaka, 23, acknowledged she was battling mental health issues and stated she was "not going to do any press" during the tournament, explaining she often felt "huge waves of anxiety" when speaking to reporters. After her first-round match, she refused to attend a mandatory press conference and was fined $15,000. The organizers of the four Grand Slam events then released a joint statement warning Osaka that skipping future media obligations would lead to additional fines and potentially a suspension. Osaka responded by withdrawing from the French Open, stating she "never wanted to be a distraction," and acknowledging she had suffered from "long bouts of depression" since 2018. Last Monday, organizers of Berlin's WTA 500 tournament announced Osaka had pulled out of the event. After leaving the French Open, Osaka said she hoped to have meaningful conversations with Women's Tennis Association officials before returning. "I really want to work with the Tour to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans," she stated. On Thursday morning, Wimbledon organizers said they had reached out to Osaka regarding the tournament's media arrangements and directly contacted her camp. "We have started a consultation," All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. "Of course, that consultation needs to include not just the players, but the media and all of those engaged in that space."All four of Osaka's Grand Slam titles have come on hardcourt surfaces. She has never advanced past the third round at Wimbledon (grass) or the French Open (clay). The world's second-ranked female and third-ranked male player withdrew from this year's Wimbledon on the same day. Rafael Nadal announced Thursday he will not play in Wimbledon or at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, explaining he made the difficult decision in order to prolong his career. Nadal, 35, said on Twitter it is "never an easy decision" to pull out of an important tournament but after discussing it with his team and "listening to my body... it is the right decision."Rafael Nadal Pulls Out Of Wimbledon And Tokyo Olympics (Forbes)Wimbledon Organizers Have Contacted Naomi Osaka About Media Arrangements (Forbes) All data is taken from the source: http://forbes.com Article Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybee... #osaka #newstoday #bbcnewstoday #newstodayusa #cnnnewstoday #usnewsworldreport#