SERENA WILLIAMS SUPPORTS NAOMI OSAKA’S WITHDRAW FROM FRENCH OPENER
Naomi Osaka shocked the world after withdrawing from the French Opener to focus on her mental health.
In Osaka’s statement withdrawing from the French Open, Osaka said she suffered “long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018” and has struggled to cope with it ever since. She continued, “Anyone that knows me knows I am introverted, and anyone that has seen me at tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety.
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021
Serena Williams makes it known that she can relate, and Naomi is doing the best she can. “The only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi. 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,” Williams said after her first-round win over Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.
“Not everyone is the same. We have different personalities. 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 and the best way she thinks she can,” the 23-time Grand Slam winner said.
After Naomi Osaka’s first win at Roland Garros over 63rd-ranked Patricia Maria Tig, she was hit with a $15,000 fine for not meeting with the press. Osaka had previously said she knew a fine was coming.
As Naomi just recently pulled out of her second tournament, it’s unclear how long Osaka will be away from the game, but in her return, she hopes to work with the WTA Tour to create positive change around players, press, and fans.
Even though fans criticized her and said she “signed up” for it, we’ve all been there. Sometimes our jobs become too much, and our mental health suffers as a consequence. Professional athletes deserve to be treated no differently.
