Naomi Osaka says she is going to transfer away from the courts for a time 1:33
(CNN) – Tennis star Naomi Osaka introduced Monday that she is withdrawing from the French Open after refusing to talk to the media on the Grand Slam.
The four-time Grand Slam winner posted an announcement on Twitter saying she was retiring in order that “everybody can get again to concentrating on the tennis that takes place in Paris,” including that “she would take day off the court docket.”
Osaka revealed that she had “suffered from lengthy bouts of melancholy” since profitable her first Grand Slam title in 2018.
Final Wednesday, citing mental health causes, Osaka posted on social media that he wouldn’t take part in any press conferences through the French Open, hoping that any fines he incurred would go to a mental health charity.
Following her victory on Sunday, Osaka was fined $ 15,000 for failing to talk to the media, Roland Garros introduced in an announcement.
Naomi Osaka’s message
“This isn’t a state of affairs that I ever imagined or supposed after I posted just a few days in the past,” Osaka mentioned in his assertion.
“I believe now the most effective factor for the match, the opposite gamers and my well-being is that I retire so that everybody can get again to concentrating on the tennis that takes place in Paris.
“I by no means needed to be a distraction and I settle for that my second was not very best and my message might have been clearer. Extra importantly, I’d by no means trivialize mental health or use the time period flippantly.
“The reality is that I’ve suffered lengthy bouts of melancholy because the US Open in 2018 and it has been very tough for me to cope with it.
“Anybody who is aware of me is aware of that I’m an introvert, and anybody who has seen me at tournaments will discover that I usually put on headphones because it helps to calm my social anxiousness.
“Though the tennis press has all the time been type to me (and I particularly wish to apologize to all the good journalists I’ll have damage), I’m not a public speaker by nature and really feel nice waves of tension earlier than talking to the media of the world.
“I get very nervous and discover it annoying to all the time attempt to become involved and provides the most effective solutions I can. So right here in Paris I used to be already feeling susceptible and anxious, so I assumed it greatest to handle myself and skip press conferences.
“I introduced it pre-emptively as a result of I really feel that the principles are fairly outdated in some elements and I needed to spotlight that. I wrote privately to the match apologizing and saying that I’d be very happy to talk with them after the match because the slams are intense.
“I’m going to take day off the pitch now, however when the time is true, I actually wish to work with the Tour to debate the methods we are able to make issues higher for the gamers, the press and the followers.”
Criticism of the French Open
Following its choice to exclude itself from media duties final week, the French Open was criticized for posting a tweet, which it has since deleted, with pictures of Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff taking part in his duties with the media with the caption: “They received the job accomplished.”
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4-time Grand Slam doubles winner Rennae Stubbs tweeted: “This can be a severe stain on Roland Garros and the FFT (French Tennis Federation).
I perceive your try and ship a message, however this doesn’t look good. I imply these explicit gamers are an amazing picture for tennis, however making a participant really feel responsible and humiliating her is NOT an excellent picture for a tennis participant.
Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation, mentioned in an announcement that the FFT was “sorry and sorry for Naomi Osaka.”
“The results of Naomi’s withdrawal from Roland-Garros is regrettable. We want her the most effective and quickest restoration potential, and we look ahead to having Naomi at our Match subsequent yr, ”Moretton’s assertion learn. “Like all Grand Slams, the WTA, the ATP and the ITF, we stay extremely dedicated to the well-being of all athletes and to repeatedly bettering all elements of the participant expertise at our Match, together with the media. , as we’ve all the time strived to realize. “
Tennis nice Martina Navratilova tweeted about Osaka’s choice on Monday.
“I actually hope it’s okay,” Navratilova tweeted. “As athletes, we’re taught to handle our physique, and maybe the mental and emotional facet is missed. This goes past providing a press convention or not.
The place of Roland Garros
After her victory over Romanian Patricia Maria Tig on Sunday, 23-year-old Osaka didn’t converse to the media, an motion for which she was fined.
Roland Garros mentioned it requested Osaka “to rethink its place and tried unsuccessfully to speak to her to test on her well-being, perceive the main points of her downside and what might be accomplished to repair it on website.”
“Following Naomi Osaka’s lack of dedication, the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open wrote to her collectively to test on her well-being and provide her assist, underscore her dedication to the well-being of all athletes, and counsel a dialogue on the topic, “mentioned the assertion. “He was additionally reminded of his obligations, the implications of not complying with them and that the principles ought to apply equally to all gamers.”
Organizers mentioned repeated violations might result in harsher penalties, together with suspension from the match.
The WTA tour issued an announcement saying that mental health and consciousness are one of many “highest priorities of the WTA.”
“We’re nonetheless right here to assist and help Naomi in any approach potential and we hope to see her again on the court docket quickly,” the WTA assertion learn.
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