Osaka to skip Wimbledon, will return for Olympics
June 18, 2021
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will skip the Wimbledon tournament scheduled at the end of the month, according to her agent Stuart Duguid.
She will return for the Tokyo Olympic games, Duguid added.
Osaka had quit the French Open last month, citing mental health reasons and the social stresses of attending post-match press conferences.
What did Osaka say?
Duguid said she was "taking some personal time with friends and family" this month.
"She will be ready for the Olympics and excited to play in front of her home fans," Duguid added.
The 23-year-old athlete had withdrawn from the French Open last month after organizers fined her $15,000 and threatened her with expulsion from the tournament when she refused to attend mandatory press conferences after her matches.
She said she had "suffered long bouts of depression" and that she gets "huge waves of anxiety" before speaking to the press. Her reasons resonated with tennis stars and the public alike.
"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," Serena Williams, whom Osaka had grown up idolizing, said in support of Osaka's decision.
How have authorities reacted?
Wimbledon organizers, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), said Osaka would be "greatly missed." They added they completely understood her decision.
"We wish her a happy time with her friends and family and look forward to welcoming her back to Wimbledon next year," AELTC said.
Osaka's participation at Wimbledon was in doubt when she pulled out of a WTA 500 grasscourt tournament in Berlin which was meant to serve as a preparatory tuneup for the Grand Slam.
Osaka was born in Japan but moved to the United States when she was three years old.
rm/sms (Reuters, AP)