Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Second Tennis Tournament
Naomi Osaka has officially withdrawn from the Berlin WTA 5000 tournament scheduled for June 14.
According to CBS Sports, Berlin event organizers said in a statement., "We have received notification Naomi Osaka cannot start in Berlin. After consulting her management, she will take a break.”
Wimbledon is scheduled for June 28. It’s not known if Osaka will play.
After being fined $15,000 for not meeting media interview requirements, Osaka withdrew from the French Open on May 31 for her mental health. The 23-year-old posted a message on Instagram, writing, "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."
She also added, “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 mental health or use the term lightly.”
Osaka is currently the world’s No. 2 ranked women’s singles tennis player. She won in the first round of the French Open, defeating Patricia Maria Tig.
Prior to the highly anticipated French Open, Osaka posted a message on Instagram which explained to her 2.3 million followers her decision to withdraw from the French Open.
“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,” she wrote in the IG post.
“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 mental health or use the term lightly.”
Osaka is currently the world’s No. 2 ranked women’s singles tennis player. She won in the first round of the French Open, defeating Patricia Maria Tig.