Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open following the increased attention surrounding her decision to not do press conferences in Paris, she announced Monday.
“I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer,” Osaka said on social media.
She detailed how she has struggled with depression since the 2018 US Open and gets “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media.
Days before the French Open started, Osaka announced she would not be doing any news conferences in Paris, citing her mental health.
“If the organizations think that they can just keep saying ‘do press or you’re gonna be fined,’ and continue to ignore the mental health of the athletes that are the centerpiece of their cooperation then I just gotta laugh.”
On Sunday, the Grand Slam tournaments fined Osaka $15,000 for her media boycott, announcing in a joint statement that if she continues to ignore her media obligations, she could be further sanctioned — including defaults and suspensions from the major tournaments.
This story will be updated.
