Japan’s tennis player Naomi Osaka has said she is withdrawing from the French Open following the bitter fallout from her decision to boycott all media activity.
On Sunday, the former world number one was warned she could be thrown out of the French Open if she continues to boycott post-match news conferences at the tournament.
“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,” the world number two wrote on Twitter on Monday.
She was also fined $15,000 by Grand Slam organisers for failing to attend a news conference following her first-round win.
Earlier this week, the four-time Grand Slam champion said she would not face the press during the French Open, citing mental health reasons.
“I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one,” she said last week.
In her Twitter post on Monday, she said she “suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that”.
“Anyone that knows me knows I’m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety.
“Though the tennis press has always been kind to me (and I wanna apologise especially to all the cool journalists who I may have hurt), I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world’s media.”
“I’m gonna take some time away from the court now, but when the time is right I really want to work with the Tour to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans.”
Naomi Osaka said she has also apologised to organisers over the affair which has dominated the early stages of the French Open ever since she warned last week.
