Tokyo: Naomi Osaka’s tennis star said Monday he wanted to be on the Olympic shape and would take part in a press conference, after pulling out of several tournaments which quoted his struggle with depression and anxiety.
The world number two told the national announcer of the Japanese NHK, he was getting ready to play in Turf at home in the Tokyo game which was postponed by Pandemi, after being pulled from Wimbledon and France Open.
“I was preparing myself little by little so I could be at the top of my game for the Olympics,” the 23-year-old wrote in a message published by the announcer.
“Since getting world attention, I always have an anxiety attack.
This is especially true to tin to big competition.” Osaka triggered a debate about mental health in June after leaving a French open campaign just one match above media disputes.
Japanese players said the post-match news conference harmed his mental health and equalized them to “kicking people when they went down”.
He then revealed his battle with depression and anxiety in posts on social media, said he wanted to take away time from the game to be better.
In a message published by NHK, Osaka said he was “proud” to play for his country in the match, adding that he would take part in a news conference while thinking about his mental health.
He was fined $ 15,000 and was threatened with disqualified from Roland Garros after refusing to respect the compulsory media commitment.
The French open organizers protested that they had treated it with “care and respect” after they were accused of heavy hands.
Osaka’s agent said last month that he had resigned from Wimbledon to spend time with friends and family.
But he added that he was “happy to play in front of his house fans” in Tokyo 2020, which began on July 23.