Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Wimbledon for personal reasons but said she will be ready to take part in the Tokyo Olympics. (More Sports News)
Wimbledon is slated to be played between June 28 to July 11. Stuart Duguid, Osaka's agent, wrote Thursday in an email that Osaka 'is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.'
The world No 2 Osaka had earlier withdrawn from French Open after deciding not not to fulfil her press conference duties during the tournament at Roland Garros.
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Osaka had sighted mental health issues and concerns for reaching that decision. In her statement then, Osaka had said she has suffered 'long bouts of depression' since winning the US Open in 2018.
In a statement she had said, “Hey everyone, this isn'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."
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Osaka is the second tennis star to withdraw from this years' Wimbledon. Earlier, Rafael Nadal had withdrawn from Wimbledon or Tokyo Olympics.
"The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at the maximum level of competition," Nadal said.
Osaka has been ranked No. 1 and is currently No. 2; she is the highest-earning female athlete and was the 2020 AP Female Athlete of the Year. She is 14-3 this season, including a title at the Australian Open in February.
Osaka has played at Wimbledon three times, twice exiting in the third round and losing in the first round in 2019.
Osaka is a 23-year-old who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father; the family moved to the United States when she was 3 and she is still based there. (with inputs from Agencies)
