Tennis player Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Berlin WTA Event

Tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from next week's Berlin WTA grasscourt tournament on Monday.

This comes after she decided to exit from this year's French Open tournament.

"We have received notification that Naomi Osaka cannot start in Berlin. After consulting her management, she will take a break," said a spokesman for the Berlin tournament, which commences on June 14.

Tennis player Naomi Osaka has not yet made any announcement regarding her future plans. Her latest moves have raised question marks over her participation at the Wimbledon tournament, and also the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Both the events commence from June 28, and July 23 this year, respectively.

Naomi Osaka has been in the spotlight, ever since she withdrew from the French Open. She did this after she decided to not address the media during the event. She was then fined for her actions and was threatened with suspension.

She released a statement on social media, in which she said that she is an introvert and that she had been feeling anxious and vulnerable. This eventually made her skip the press conferences, at the tournament. She added that she apologised to the tournament organisers in private and that she would be delighted to have a word with the officials after the tournament ends.

pic.twitter.com/LN2ANnoAYD

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021

Tennis player Naomi Osaka gets support from Serena Williams

Several sportspeople openly supported Naomi Osaka for prioritising her mental health. American tennis star Serena Williams said that she feels for Naomi and that she has gone through similar experiences like Naomi. “Like I said, I’ve been in those positions. We have different personalities, and people are different.” She added that different people handle things differently.

Serena Williams then said that people should let Osaka handle the situation in her own way. Many other people like tennis stars Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, supported her decision.

I am so sad about Naomi Osaka.I truly hope she will be ok. 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!

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) May 31, 2021

It’s incredibly brave that Naomi Osaka has revealed her truth about her struggle with depression.

Right now, the important thing is that we give her the space and time she needs.

We wish her well.

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) May 31, 2021