PARIS: Japan’s Naomi Osaka stunned the tennis world late on Monday by withdrawing from the French Open after deciding to boycott post-match media duties, explaining she had been suffering from depression for almost three years.
Osaka said in the build-up to the tournament that she would not attend the obligatory press conferences for players after matches, saying the questioning by journalists impacts her mental well-being.
The four-time Grand Slam champion made good on her threat on Sunday when, after winning her first round match, she did not hold a press conference.
She was fined $15,000 by the Roland Garros referee, and Grand Slam organisers later issued a strongly worded statement warning of possible expulsion from the French Open and future majors if she failed to change her stance.
“This isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago,” the 23-year-old Osaka said on Twitter. “I think now 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.
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“I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer.”
Osaka, one of the biggest names in women’s sport, went on to say she had suffered from depression since 2018.
