Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing mental health reasons. She will also skip Wimbledon to focus on herself.

Representatives for Naomi Osaka said the 2021 Australian Open champion will not partake in the third major of the calendar year as she spends time with loved ones. However, the statement did say Osaka would be ready for the Olympic Games in Tokyo:

“She 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 statement said, via SportsCenter.

Osaka becomes the second big star to announce they would not head to Wimbledon shortly after Rafael Nadal said he would not participate.

Article Continues Below
More Tennis News
Coco Gauff of the United States follows through on a shot during her match against Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic on day five at Roland Garros Stadium.
Coco Gauff calls out French Open over women’s match schedulingJess Koffie ·
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning his match against Fabian Marozsan of Hungary on day four at Roland Garros Stadium.
Deion Sanders shouts out Carlos Alcaraz for Roland Garros masteryTroy Finnegan ·
Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates winning her match against Emma Raducanu of Great Britain on day four at Roland Garros Stadium.
Iga Swiatek bursts out laughing at thought of Jelena Ostapenko rematchTroy Finnegan ·
Aryna Sabalenka reacts to a point during her match against Olga Danilovic of Serbia on day six at Roland Garros Stadium.
Aryna Sabalenka shuts down Novak Djokovic retirement question: ‘Leave him alone’Troy Finnegan ·
Featured image Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka overcomes early woes to reach 3rd roundDylan Fine ·
Tommy Paul of the United States celebrates winning his match against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary on day four at Roland Garros Stadium.
Matthew McConaughey shouts out Tommy Paul for epic 2-0 French Open comebackTroy Finnegan ·

Naomi Osaka came to Paris as one of the favorites to win the tournament after her triumph in Melbourne earlier this year. The Japanese star had played dominant tennis dating back to last year's U.S. Open, and appeared as strong a contender as any.

However, the focus would eventually shift away from the court.

Osaka caused a stir when she said she would avoid speaking with the media during the course of the tournament, citing mental health reasons. French Open officials then fined Osaka and threatened her with expulsion, eventually resulting in the 23-year-old deciding to withdraw from the tournament. The withdrawal prompted a lot of discussion about both player and media responsibilities, and especially mental health in sports.

It appeared likely Naomi Osaka would elect to skip the grass-court major after pulling out of a tune-up in Berlin. She will take more time off before beginning preparations for Tokyo.