French Open Faces Blows as Two Tennis Stars Withdraw
Naomi Osaka refused her participation in French Open due to mental health concerns and Roger Federer opted for a knee rest before Wimbledon
Recently, two popular names of the tennis world Naomi Osaka and Roger Federer have walked out of the French Open citing personal concerns.
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is a major tennis tournament held at the State Roland Garros in Paris every year.
former top seed Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka called off from appearing in the French Open due to her mental health concerns.
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Taking to her Instagram handle, Osaka wrote a brief thought on why she is choosing to not be part of the French Open.
View this post on Instagram
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who is struggling with depression for many years, stood against the tradition.
She thinks that attending the post-match press conference is undue pressure on players.
In response to her withdrawal from French Open, the officials not only intimidated her by expelling her from the tournament but also asked her to pay a fine of $15,000 if she fails to honor media commitments.
With this statement, the 23-year-old tennis player has raised doubts regarding her participation at Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympics too.
Responding to Osaka’s decision, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) assured to review media and player’s interactions during the tournament.
Following Naomi’s decision, 20-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer also called off his appearance at the French Open owing to knee-rest after an injury that happened past 18 months as he wants to join Wimbledon.
The tennis star announced his withdrawal from the Roland Garros after a brief discussion with the team.
“After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation it’s important that I listen to my body and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery”, Roger said.
Currently, Federer is playing his third tournament since last year, however, his main aim is to score a victory for 9th title at Wimbledon which is set to start on June 28.
