Tennis star Naomi Osaka has opted to take some “personal time” and has withdrawn from Wimbledon.
On Thursday, Osaka’s agent confirmed the withdrawal in a statement that said the young star was “taking some personal time with friends and family.” The statement confirmed that Osaka is still scheduled to participate in the Olympics and is “excited to play in front of her home fans.”
Currently ranked No. 2 in women’s tennis, the 23-year-old stepping away from Wimbledon comes just weeks after she departed from the French Open before the second round following controversy sparked by her decision to skip mandatory media obligations at the tournament. She also pulled out of next week’s Berlin WTA 5000 grass-court competition.
Osaka recently revealed that she has been battling anxiety and depression since winning the U.S. Open in 2018, which forced her into superstardom and was the first of her four Grand Slam titles. In a lengthy Instagram post following her decision to withdraw from the French Open, Osaka expressed that she has had difficulty coping with her mental health and apologized to the journalists impacted by her decision to drop out.
She has not commented publicly on withdrawing from Wimbledon.
