Naomi Osaka, the four-time grand slam champion, who withdrew
from the 2021 French Open citing mental health issues, has said that there are
a lot of things she did “wrong” during the withdrawal.

Osaka made headlines in May this year, after she withdrew
from the Roland Garros, citing mental health reasons for her decision. She had
refused to speak to the media during the tournament, for which she was fined
$15,000.

“Honestly, I feel like there’s a lot of things that I did
wrong in that moment, but I am also the type of person that is very in the
moment,” Osaka said ahead of the US Open.

“Like whatever I feel, I’ll say it or do it. I don’t
necessarily think that’s a bad thing. I think there’s a lot of things that I
learned to do better. Of course, I don’t feel the same situation will happen
again. I would say maybe think it through a bit more in the way that, like, I
didn’t know how big of a deal it would become,” Osaka was quoted by CNN as
saying.

Her decision to pull out of the tournament back then sparked
debate on the relationship between mental health and press conferences, especially
in the field of sports.

The world number 3 was again in the headlines earlier in
August when she was seen crying during a press conference at the Western &
Southern Open. After being knocked out of the tournament by Jil Teichmann, Osaka
said that for her, making the choice to go out and play “itself is an
accomplishment.”

Earlier this month, Osaka said she was feeling more thankful
for her tennis career, after seeing the harrowing situations in Haiti and
Afghanistan. The two-time US Open champion will look to reclaim her title this time around at Flushing Meadows, which begins on Monday, August 30.