It looks like Naomi Osaka will continue to place her focus on the things that matter most when it comes to her mental health. On Thursday, her team released a statement announcing that she will be withdrawing from Wimbledon, which makes it the second Grand Slam tournament she has decided to opt-out of.
According to ESPN, Naomi’s agent released a statement and said, “Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year. She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.”
As previously reported, Naomi recently pulled out of the French Open before the second round after she was fined and criticized for deciding not to participate in the press conferences following the matches. Naomi has been open about dealing with anxiety and depression since winning her first Grand Slam title back in 2018.
Prior to the French Open starting, she released a statement warning that she wouldn’t be doing press. At that time she said, “I’ve often felt like people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one.” After receiving a $15,000 fine after winning the first round she withdrew from the remainder of the tournament.
Shortly after, she made the decision to withdraw from the Berlin WTA 5000 grass-court tournament.
Wimbledon tweeted out a message of support to Naomi Thursday and said, “You’ll be greatly missed, @naomiosaka– wishing you all the best at home and the Olympics and hope to welcome you back next year.”
You'll be greatly missed, @naomiosaka – wishing you all the best at home and the Olympics and hope to welcome you back next year pic.twitter.com/avQzhFDm8U
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 17, 2021
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