Japanese fans and public figures rallied in support of tennis star, Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, offering sympathy after she withdrew from the French Open and opened up about her battles with depression.
Reaction in Japan was largely sympathetic, with one Twitter user urging Osaka to “take a good, long break”.
Osaka revealed that she has “suffered long bouts of depression” after pulling out of the French Open on Monday, and will “take some time away from the court”.
Her withdrawal follows the fall-out from her decision to boycott press conferences at the tournament, which she said were like “kicking people when they are down”.
Osaka was expected to represent Japan at the July-August Tokyo Olympics, and will be one of the host country’s highest-profile athletes at the Games if she takes part.
Many welcomed Osaka’s openness about her mental health, a subject rarely discussed by public figures in Japan.
Some Twitter users questioned whether Osaka was feeling the strain of competing for titles and speaking out against racial injustice.
