Osaka pulls out of Wimbledon but aims for Olympics
Send a link to a friend
[June 18, 2021]
By Rohith Nair
(Reuters) -Naomi Osaka has withdrawn
from this month's Wimbledon championships for personal reasons but
her agent said on Thursday that the world number two will be ready
for the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan's Osaka quit the French Open last month following her
first-round victory after organisers fined her $15,000 and
threatened her with expulsion from the tournament when she refused
to attend mandatory post-match press conferences.
The 23-year-old, who said she has "social anxiety", explained that
the media's line of questioning after matches impacted her mental
well-being.
"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," Osaka's
agent told Reuters via email.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/May/27/images/ads/current/zion_lda_HOMETOWNHEROS_2021.png)
Wimbledon organisers, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), said
Osaka would be "greatly missed" at the Grand Slam this year.
"We completely understand her decision," the AELTC said. "We wish her a
happy time with her friends and family and look forward to welcoming her
back to Wimbledon next year."
Osaka's participation at Wimbledon was in doubt this month when she
pulled out of a WTA 500 grasscourt tournament in Berlin which was meant
to serve as a tune-up for the Grand Slam.
Osaka, a four-times Grand Slam winner, had announced in the build-up to
the French Open that she would not face the media and stuck to her
stance.
A strongly-worded letter from the board of the four Grand Slam
tournaments followed, warning her of possible expulsion from Roland
Garros and future majors - after which she announced her withdrawal on
social media.
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/061821PIX/osaka_small.jpg)
Picture taken May 30, 2021 Japan's Naomi
Osaka reacts during her first round match against Romania's Patricia
Maria Tig REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
![](../images/ads/current/graue_lda_2021.gif)
Osaka's sudden withdrawal led to an
outpouring of support from fellow tennis professionals and other
athletes, including Venus and Serena Williams, Formula One champion
Lewis Hamilton and former Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt.
Judy Murray, mother of three-times Grand Slam winner Andy Murray,
also spoke out in support of Osaka, saying tennis players faced
extremely high demands from the media.
The reaction to Osaka's withdrawal put French Open organisers on the
back foot. Although they defended their handling of the situation,
they accepted that the governing bodies need to do better on mental
health issues.
Osaka's withdrawal was a second major blow to Wimbledon on Thursday
after 20-times Grand Slam winner Rafa Nadal announced he was
skipping the grasscourt major following a gruelling claycourt
season.
Spaniard Nadal also said he would be skipping the Olympics, which
begin on July 23.
Born to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, Osaka grew up
idolising 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and turned
professional in 2013 aged 15.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Andrew Cawthorne,
Pritha Sarkar and Ed Osmond)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/18/images/ads/current/castlemanor_sda_FINANCIAL_2017.png) |