‘Not Belittling Them’ – Martina Navratilova Addresses Mental Health While Hoping for Naomi Osaka’s Grand Comeback

Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis, has been inconsistent for quite some time now. She hasn’t marked any trophy under her name since last year’s Australian Open. Her depleting stats got worse due to the mental health in the later half of 2021.

Osaka dropped out of the French Open in the second round only after having an argument with management regarding interaction with the media. Osaka demanded to stay out of the post-match conference to safeguard her mental wellbeing. Thereafter, she kept out of Wimbledon and gave a subpar performance in the US Open, and the struggle has continued this season, as well.

Martina Navratilova about Osaka’s mental struggle

Osaka’s gameplay has taken a hit after the 2021 French Open. She has had just one significant run-up till now, which was in April. Watching such a high-caliber player strive to survive initial rounds has pained many fans and entities, including the veteran Martina Navratilova. Upon being asked about mental issues in tennis, the legendary player said, “If social media is your biggest problem, you’ve got it good. Because you have an option of staying away from it.”

“The mental issues are real. I’m not belittling them at all, but it’s like we didn’t have the option of having any mental issues because we were too busy. “Some can handle it better than others. Osaka, she isn’t playing at all, but my God, we want her to play, because she’s such a talent, we want her on the tour.”

Read more: Naomi Osaka 2022: Net Worth, Salary, and Endorsements

The former World No.1’s last appearance was at the 2022 French Open. There Amanda Anisimova, the 20-year-old American tennis professional, got the better of her in straight sets of 7-5, 6-4 in the very first round.

Wimbledon status of Naomi Osaka

Osaka suffered from a left Achilles injury after the second round dismissal from the Madrid Open. Therefore, she pulled her name out of the Italian over. After resting for a few days, she entered the French Open; suffering a similar fate as her Madrid Open run.

Watch this story: Dwayne the rock Johnson versus Serena Williams—net worth comparison

However, because the Japanese participated in the Grand Salm of Red dirt, people were expecting to see her in Wimbledon. Though her statement regarding losing interest in Wimbledon as it had no raking points to offer raised questions in fan’s minds. Not much after that, Osaka announced that her injury required more attention. And she will miss the Wimbledon championship for the second consecutive year.