Naomi Osaka thanks fans for 'all the love' after French Open withdrawal

Naomi Osaka on Saturday thanked her fans for their support after the four-time Grand Slam champion earlier this week withdrew from the French Open, citing mental health issues.

The 23-year-old world No. 2 later announced she would not compete at all and revealed she had been suffering from bouts of depression for several years, leading to an outpouring of support.

"Just want to thank you for all the love," she wrote in an Instagram story.

"Haven't been on my phone much but I wanted to hop on here and tell you all that I really appreciate it," she said.

WATCH | Naomi Osaka pulls out from French Open, citing mental health concerns:

Naomi Osaka pulls out of French Open citing mental health concerns

The National

21 days ago

1:58

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the French Open citing an ongoing battle with depression and social anxiety. Osaka had previously said she wouldn’t do any press conferences during the tournament because of mental health concerns. 1:58

The International Tennis Federation has promised a comprehensive review on how players and media interact during tournaments, saying it takes mental health issues extremely seriously.

It is unclear whether Osaka will return to the game in time for Wimbledon, which begins later this month.

Osaka is one of the best-known and most marketable players in the game, and in the past has used her position to call attention to issues of police violence and racial inequality.

WATCH | Route setting can make or break sport climbing at the Olympics:

Sport climbing is a new Olympic sport — but who sets the routes the athletes climb?

Sports

19 days ago

4:00

Route setting can make or break sport climbing at the Olympic Games. Route setter Percy Bishton explains how an already difficult job is made even harder by the pandemic. 4:00