Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka announced her withdrawal from the 2021 French Open

Naomi Osaka, the world's women's singles player no. 2, announced her withdrawal from the French Open on May 31.

Naomi Osaka announced her decision to withdraw from the tournament on her personal social media account on the same day. She said withdrawing from the tournament was the best decision for the French Open, other players and themselves, which would refocus people on tennis itself. Naomi Osaka said she would be away from the stadium for a while. When the time comes, she hopes to discuss with the French Open organizers how to improve the relationship between players and the media. She also revealed that she has experienced a considerable period of depression since the 2018 US Open.

Naomi Osaka recently said that during this French Open, she will not participate in any post-match media interviews, on the grounds that post-match interviews ignore the mental health of players, and some players are even asked by reporters about emotional breakdowns. After defeating Romania's Teague in the first round of the women's singles on May 30, Naomi Osaka refused to attend the press conference, for which she was fined $15,000. The French Open organizers said that if she re-offended, she would be disqualified from the French Open. A joint statement was also issued on the night of the four Grand Slam tournaments, saying that if she insisted on going her own way, Naomi Osaka would be punished more severely, and even disqualified from participating in the Grand Slam.

The organizer of the French Open, Gilles Morton, president of the French Tennis Federation, issued a statement on the evening of the 31st, expressing regret for Naomi Osaka's retirement and wishing her a speedy recovery and returning to the French Open next year. Morton also said that the French Open and other Grand Slam tournaments, as well as institutions such as the International Tennis Federation, have always been concerned about the well-being of athletes and are committed to continuing to improve the experience of players in the game, including cooperation with the media. (Reporter Jia Yanning)

(Editing by Li Mingyi)