Serena Williams supports Naomi Osaka: On Monday, top tennis stat Serena Williams offered her support to Naomi Osaka after she decided to withdraw from the French Open for mental health reasons.
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka took to Twitter on May 31, to announce that she has withdrawn from the French Open. In her statement, Osaka wrote that she did not want her stance of boycotting the media to become a distraction. She went on to reveal that she had been dealing with mental health issues since 2018. The announcement came a day after she was fined $15,000 after skipping the French Open press conference following the victory in her opening match.
When asked for her reaction on Osaka's decision, Williams said, "The only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi. I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it's like." She added, "Like I said, I've been in those positions. We have different personalities, and people are different." Williams went on to add, "Not everyone is the same. I'm thick (skinned). Other people are thin. Everyone is different and everyone handles things differently."
Williams further added that people must let Osaka handle the situation the way she wants to and in the best way she can. She also said that it was important for players to have someone as a 'sounding board' in tough times. The player believes that one must ask others for help whenever needed.
She said, "Whether it's someone at the WTA or whether it's someone in your life. Maybe it's someone that you just talk to on a weekly basis. I've been in that position too. I've definitely had opportunities to talk to people, kind of get things off my chest that I can't necessarily talk to anyone in my family or anyone that I know."
Tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King too extended their support to Naomi Osaka for her decision to walk away from French Open tournament.
"As athletes we are taught to take care of our body, and perhaps the mental & emotional aspect gets short shrift. This is about more than doing or not doing a press conference. Good luck Naomi- we are all pulling for you!" Navratilova wrote in her tweet.
Calling Osaka brave, King said that she had revealed her truth about her struggle with depression. "Right now, the important thing is that we give her the space and time she needs," King added in her tweet.
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