World No. 2 Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon

Naomi Osaka, ranked No. 2 in the world in women’s tennis, has withdrawn from Wimbledon, according to a statement released by her agent on Thursday.

“Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year,” the statement read. “She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.”

Wimbledon organizers had been in contact with Osaka and others about the tournament’s media operations this year, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said Thursday.

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Osaka, 23, withdrew from the French Open before the second round in the wake of the controversy caused by her decision to skip mandatory postmatch news conferences at the tournament.

She revealed that she had been dealing with anxiety and depression since bursting into the limelight by winning the US Open in 2018, the first of her four Grand Slam titles.

Osaka had also pulled out of next week’s Berlin WTA 5000 grass-court tournament on Monday, raising doubts about her participation at Wimbledon, which is due to begin June 28.

News of Oskaka’s withdrawal comes after two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal announced he was withdrawing from the tournament and this summer’s Tokyo Olympics in an effort to preserve his health and prolong his career.

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