Serena Williams voiced her support for Naomi Osaka after the Japanese star withdrew from the French Open after being threatened with expulsion over a press boycott.
Naomi Osaka caused a storm on the eve of the tournament when she revealed plans to not attend any press conferences due to mental health concerns – a vow she stuck to following her first round win over Patricia Tig.
She was fined $15,000 (£10,600) for skipping post-match media duties and faced being kicked out of the tournament if she persisted with the media snub, only for the four-time Grand Slam champion to pull out herself on Monday.
“I never wanted to be a distraction,” said Osaka in a statement on social media. “I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly, I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly.
“The truth is that I have 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 that I’m introverted, and anyone that’s seen me at tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety.”
Williams, 16 years Osaka’s senior, said that the 23-year-old must be allowed to make her own decisions.
“The only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi,” said Williams after her 7-6(6) 6-2 win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
“I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it’s like. Like I said, I’ve been in those positions.
“We have different personalities and people are different. Not everyone is the same. I’m thick. Other people are thin. Everyone is different and everyone handles things differently.
“You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to, in the best way she thinks she can, and that’s the only thing I can say. I think she’s doing the best she can.”
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