WORLD NUMBER ONE Novak Djokovic hailed Naomi Osaka as “brave and bold” for withdrawing from the French Open after revealing her struggles with depression and anxiety.
“I support her. I think she was very brave to do that. I’m really sorry that she is going through painful times and suffering mentally, is what I have heard,” said Djokovic after reaching the second round of the tournament.
“This was, I must say, a very bold decision from her side.
“If she needs to take time and reflect and just recharge that’s what she needed to do, and I respect it fully. I hope that she’ll come back stronger.”
World number two and four-time major winner Osaka pulled out on Monday after she was fined €12,300 ($15,000) and threatened with disqualification for refusing to attend press conferences.
Osaka claimed traditional post-match media conferences are akin to “kicking people when they’re down” and were having a detrimental effect on her mental health.
She revealed she had been suffering bouts of depression since her 2018 US Open title breakthrough as well as anxiety attacks.
Djokovic kicked off his campaign for a 19th Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Tennys Sandgren inside an empty stadium.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
