Former actor and now the Dutchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who is an eloquent advocate of mental health and often gets involved in campaigns related to its awareness, reached out to star tennis player Naomi Osaka when she opted out of French Opens due to some mental health crisis, said Naomi in a statement she released on Friday.
In a statement, Naomi expresses gratitude for all those who have come out to support her in a time of crisis.
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“I want to thank everyone who supported me. There are too many to name, but I want to start with my family and friends, who have been amazing. There is nothing more important than those relationships. I also want to thank those in the public eye who have supported, encouraged, and offered such kind words. Michelle Obama, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Novak Djokovic, Meghan Markle, to name a few,” the 23-year-old tennis star wrote.
Osaka also shed light on why she avoided contact with media during the French Open tournament. She said that the interactions were many a time became uncomfortable for her and raised concerns about her performance.
The four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked tennis player withdrew her participation from French Open this year citing mental reasons. During a press briefing, she said that she dealt with anxiety before news conferences and has experienced bouts of depression in recent years.
Coming back to Meghan Markle, she and her husband Prince Harry are seen as influencers for mental well-being. Harry, recently launched an Apple TV+ docuseries titled “The Me You Can See.”
In the series, Harry discussed how Markle encouraged him to seek mental health help and how therapy actually worked wonders for him and helped him recover from past trauma.
During their explosive rendezvous with American host Oprah Winfrey in March this year, Maeghan revealed how she was denied mental help during her stay at the Buckingham Palace, which led her and her husband’s exit from the royal family.