Tennis
Naomi Osaka Continues Her Break from Tennis, Withdraws from Indian Wells
by privatebet.com - 2021/09/23
Naomi Osaka said she’s thinking about taking a break from tennis after a recent loss at the US Open, and she’s staying true to her word. The Grand Slam winner announced she’s withdrawing from the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, and she’ll most likely extend her break until 2022. Osaka didn’t give a formal reason for her withdrawal, but her decision not to take part in the tournament wasn’t surprising. After losing her third-round match at the US Open against Leylah Fernandez, the defending champion said she doesn’t know when she’s going to play her next match. “I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while. I feel like for me recently when I win I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think that’s normal,” Osaka told reporters at the post-match press conference. This isn’t the first time she was vocal about her struggles with mental health. She exited the French Open earlier this year following her decision not to conduct mandatory media assignments due to the strain they put on her mental health. It’s unclear how long her break from tennis is going to last, but it’s highly unlikely she’ll return before 2022 because Indian Wells is one of the last big events on the 2021 tennis calendar.