The young competitor dropped out of the competition after revealing her longtime struggles with depression.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/naomi-osaka-tag-heuer-interview-tennis-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Naomi Osaka</a>'s tennis career has been one full of both triumphs and setbacks, but her recent decision to pull out of the French Open has started a different conversation altogether about what's expected of athletes. Last week, the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/naomi-osaka-tennis-louis-vuitton-nicolas-ghesquiere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23-year-old tennis player </a>said she would not attend the press conferences after her matches due to the negative impact certain questions had on her mental health in tournaments past. She compared the media scrutiny to "kicking a person while they're down." 
On Sunday, after upholding her statement, the event's referee <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/30/sports/tennis/french-open-naomi-osaka-media.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fined her $15,000</a>, and officials from Australian, French, and United States Opens, and Wimbledon&mdash;the four major Grand Slam tournaments&mdash;threatened to expel her from the competition if she did not comply with their rules. In a joint statement, the four Grand Slam tournaments said,&nbsp;"Naomi Osaka today chose not to honor her contractual media obligations. The Roland-Garros referee has therefore issued her a $15,000 fine, in keeping with article III H. of the Code of Conduct."

As a result, Osaka <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPi9kJHJfxO/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced on social media</a> in a lengthy, candid post that she would be forgoing the rest of the tournament for the sake of her mental health, explaining that she has suffered from depression since the 2018 U.S. Open when fans outraged over her win against <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/off-white-collaboration-serena-williams-nike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serena Williams</a>. She wrote, "Hey everyone, this isn&rsquo;t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago. 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. I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly I would never trivialize <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fashion-beauty-brands-support-mental-health-awareness-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental health</a> 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 I&rsquo;m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I&rsquo;m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety. Though the tennis press has always been kind to me (and I wanna apologize 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&rsquo;s media. I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try to engage and give you the best answers I can."

Osaka also went onto explain that she told the tournament officials she would "be more than happy" to discuss these "outdated" rules following the event, but that, for now, she would be taking some time to focus on herself and her own mental wellness.
In a post-match press conference, <a href="https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/1399480417170903041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Williams spoke on the situation</a>, expressing concern and support for her friend.&nbsp;"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," said Williams. "We have different personalities, and people are different. Not everyone is the same. I'm thick. Other people are thick. 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."

Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Officially Withdraws from the French Open

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