Tag: Naomi Osaka

Doubts Over China Tennis Star’s Email Raise Safety Concerns

TAIPEI, Taiwan—A Chinese professional tennis player not seen in public since she accused a former top government official of sexual assault purportedly sent an email claiming she was safe and that the allegation was false, a message that only amplified concerns about her safety and demands for information about her well-being and whereabouts. So far,…


Naomi Osaka Withdraws From Next Month’s Indian Wells Tourney

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—Naomi Osaka pulled out of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday, a move that was expected after she indicated following her U.S. Open loss this month, that she planned to take another extended break from tennis. The withdrawal was announced by the official Twitter feed for the hard-court tournament at Indian Wells, which…


Defending US Open Champion Considers Taking Break From Tennis After Defeat

Two-time U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka announced following her defeat at the tennis competition on Friday she plans to take a break from the sport. “This is very hard to articulate,” she said at a press briefing, resting her left cheek in her hand. “Basically, I feel like I’m kind of at this point where…


Osaka Reaches 3rd Round of US Open After Opponent Withdraws

NEW YORK—Defending champion Naomi Osaka returned to the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday when her opponent withdrew because of illness. Osaka had been scheduled to face Olga Danilovic of Serbia in the first match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Instead, the U.S. Tennis Association moved the match between women’s No….


‘A Bit Much’: Naomi Osaka Cites Pressure in Olympic Loss

TOKYO—It wasn’t the ending that Naomi Osaka—nor her multitudes of fans across Japan and worldwide—had expected. The start of the Tokyo Olympics, however, will forever be a bright memory for the tennis superstar. Osaka herself said after lighting the Olympic cauldron during last week’s opening ceremony that it was “undoubtedly the greatest athletic achievement and…


Osaka in Dominant Form as Barty Makes Shock Exit

TOKYO—Japan’s Naomi Osaka powered through her opening match at the Tokyo Games on Sunday as world number one Ash Barty stumbled out of the tournament after a lackluster, error-strewn performance. Osaka, who is aiming to become only the fourth singles player since 1988 to win Olympic gold on home soil, admitted to having the jitters…


Osaka Pulls out of Wimbledon but Aims for Olympics

Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from this month’s Wimbledon championships for personal reasons but her agent said on Thursday that the world number two will be ready for the Tokyo Olympics. Japan’s Osaka quit the French Open last month following her first-round victory after organisers fined her $15,000 and threatened her with expulsion from the tournament…


French Open Defends ‘Pragmatic’ Stance in Osaka Dealings

PARIS—French Open organizers defended their “pragmatic” approach in their dealings with four-time major champion Naomi Osaka during the tournament, saying Sunday they tried to engage with her several times before she decided to withdraw because she needed a mental health break. “We did it the right way,” French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton said at…


Osaka Steps out of French Open and Onto Sport’s Third Rail

Most athletes are comfortable talking about injuries, so long as they can point to a bruise, a bandage, a cast or a spot on an X-ray. Some will even venture an educated guess at how long they might take to heal. Their mental health is a different story. Or at least it was before Naomi…


Osaka Withdraws From French Open Following Row Over Media Boycott

PARIS—Japan’s Naomi Osaka stunned the French Open on Monday when she announced she was withdrawing from the tournament in the wake of her decision to boycott post-match media duties, explaining she had been suffering from depression for almost three years. Osaka said in the build-up to the tournament that she would not attend the obligatory…