Osaka uncertain about Wimbledon following French Open exit
2 min read
Former world No. 1 tennis pro Naomi Osaka says she is unsure if she will compete at Wimbledon next month after her early exit from the French Open on Monday.
Osaka was asked following her first-round exit about the decision to not have ranking points at Wimbledon anymore when she dropped the bombshell it might not be worth it for her to compete.
« I’m not 100% sure if I’m going to go there, » Osaka told reporters, via ESPN. « I would love to go just to get some experience on the grass court, but, like at the same time for me, it’s kind of like — I don’t want to say pointless, no pun intended, but I’m the type of player that gets motivated by, like, seeing my ranking go up or like, you know, stuff like that. So I think the intention was really good, but the execution is kind of all over the place. »
She later expanded on the decision: « I’m not sure why but, like, I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just, like, feels that way. Whenever I think, like, something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100%. I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing given the current circumstances but, you know, that might change. »
The four-time Grand Slam winner also competed on Monday with an injured left Achilles, although she swore the injury didn’t impact her game.
Osaka was eliminated in the first round of the French Open by Amanda Anisimova, marking the second year in a row she hasn’t advanced to the second round. The four-time Grand Slam winner withdrew ahead of the second round a year ago citing mental health issues that stemmed from having to do press conferences with the media.
Osaka’s last grand slam victory was at the Australian Open in 2021.
