Tennis veteran Martina Navratilova said she was "sad" to know that World No. 2 Naomi Osaka decided to withdraw from the ongoing French Open on Monday.
Osaka, the Japanese tennis player, pulled out of the French Open citing mental health and revealed she suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018.
"The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that. Anyone that knows me knows I'm introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I'm often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety," Osaka said in a statement on Twitter.
Navratilova came out in support of Osaka after the incident and pointed out the need of prioritising the mental and emotional aspects of athletes.
"I am so sad about Naomi Osaka. I truly hope she will be ok. As athletes, we are taught to take care of our body, and perhaps the mental & emotional aspect gets short shrift. This is about more than doing or not doing a press conference. Good luck Naomi -- we are all pulling for you," Navratilova tweeted.
French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton wished Osaka the "quickest possible recovery" and said the French Open looks forward to have her next year.
World number two Osaka was on Sunday fined 15,000 dollars for skipping the press conference following her win in the first round in the ongoing French Open.
The tournament organisers had said that the Japanese tennis star could be subjected to additional sanctions if she continues to "ignore her media obligations".
Last week, Osaka had said that she would not be taking part in press conferences during the French Open in order to ensure better mental health.
( With inputs from ANI )
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