World number two Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open after the controversy over her refusal to speak to the media at the tournament.
In a tweet announcing the move, Japan’s Osaka also said she had “suffered long bouts of depression” since winning her first Grand Slam title in 2018.
The 23-year-old said last week she would not do news conferences at Roland Garros to protect her mental health.
On Sunday, Osaka won her opening match against Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig in straight sets and was fined $15,000 (£10,570) for not doing post-match media.
Later that day, a joint statement from Grand Slam organisers said Osaka could face expulsion from the tournament if she continued to avoid them.
That led to the player announcing her withdrawal on Monday, saying she was going to “take some time away from the court now”.
Meanwhile, Two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open because of a freak ankle injury sustained during her post-match media duties.
The Czech said she fell after Sunday’s first-round win over Greet Minnen. Her second-round opponent Elena Vesnina will receive a bye to the last 32.
“After an MRI and much discussion with my team, I have made the tough decision that it would be unwise to play on it,” Kvitova, 31, said in a statement.
Credit: bbc.com
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