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“Good Decision”- Olympic Legend Michael Johnson Lauds Naomi Osaka For Stepping Away After US Open 2021

Published 09/05/2021, 10:52 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

In his recent tweet, Michael Johnson appreciated the 23-year-old Japanese tennis player, Naomi Osaka, for withdrawing herself from the US Open 2021.

Michael Arthur Norman Jr. is an American sprinter. The 23-year-old American recently won gold in the 4x100m relay at the Summer Games in Tokyo. Not only this, but he also holds the world best time in the indoor 400m clocking 44.52 seconds.

Furthermore, his timing in the outdoor setting is 43.45 and was set at the 2019 Mt. SAC Relays. Interestingly, it is at the power with the #4 on the all-time list. Back in 2016, he also gained the title of being the world junior champion in both the 200 meters and 4×100 meter relay.

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WATCH STORY- Top Seeds Naomi Osaka, John Isner, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Others Who Faced Huge Upset at Us Open

Michael talks about Naomi

Appreciating a fellow sports person for taking a break in her career, Norman posted a tweet about Naomi Osaka. The American said, “Good decision. Young, trying to figure out life, how to win consistently, and as a huge celebrity athlete is hard! Trying to also be a change-maker too. Exponentially harder! If there was ever a need for an athlete to step away, this is it.

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player, currently ranked no.3 in the world. Reaching the peak of her career, she has also been ranked no.1 on January 28, 2019. Moreover, she’s the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association.

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The Japanese is a proud owner of four Grand Slam singles titles and is the reigning champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. But, she seems to have different plans for the future.

Is Naomi Osaka going to come back soon?

After losing to Leylah Fernandez, an 18-year-old Canadian, Noami decided to take a break from tennis. With an upsetting defeat of 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4, the defending champion showed signs of frustration and anger on court.

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Post her defeat, she said, “I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match. I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while. When I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. When I lose I feel very sad and I don’t that’s normal“.

The 23-year-old also opened up about her mental health in the year 2018 after winning the US Open. Having beaten one of the most decorated tennis players, Serena Williams, she stepped back to concentrate on herself.

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Wanting to focus on self-care, she withdrew from Roland Garros in May as well. Even though she took the charge of representing her home country at the Olympics this year, lightening the cauldron, the future seems unclear for her.

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Written by:

Divya Chaturvedi

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Divya Chaturvedi is an Olympic Athletics author at EssentiallySports, currently pursuing her Under Graduate degree in Psychology from the University of Delhi. She's also an internationally recognized athlete, specializing in Shot Put and Discus, representing India at the International Children's Games held in Australia has been one of the biggest feats in her endeavor so far. Having participated in The Road to Wimbledon and representing the state several times, she bagged a number of titles for the same.
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