Naomi Osaka Back In The United States After Withdrawing From The French Open

Tennis player Naomi Osaka is back in the United States after withdrawing herself from the French Open earlier this week. On Monday the athlete refused to speak with the media and posted a statement to Twitter saying “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris.” She was fined $15,000 for skipping a news conference after her match on Sunday and said that she hoped any fines incurred would go toward a mental health charity. Osaka also revealed she had ‘suffered long bouts of depression’ since winning her first grand slam title in 2018.

Following her withdrawal, Nike and other major sponsors have came out to support the tennis player. In a statement, Nike said “our thoughts are with Naomi. We support her and recognize her courage in sharing her own mental health experience.” The tennis administrators from the French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open also offered their support saying “on behalf of the grand slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court. She is an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate.”