Djokovic hails Osaka as ‘brave and bold’ for withdrawing from French Open

World number one Novak Djokovic hailed Naomi Osaka as “brave and bold” for withdrawing from the French Open and revealing her struggles with anxiety and depression but admitted he wasn’t surprised she had been threatened with a Grand Slam ban, AFP reported.

“I support her. I think she was very brave to do that. I’m really sorry that she is going through painful times and suffering mentally,” said Djokovic in the AFP report.

“This was, I must say, a very bold decision from her side. If she needs to take time and reflect and just recharge that’s what she needed to do, and I respect it fully. I hope that she’ll come back stronger.”

Osaka, the 23-year-old world number two, and four-time major winner, said she will take a break from tennis, putting her participation at Wimbledon and her home Olympics at risk.

She was fined $15,000 and threatened with disqualification from Roland Garros after she refused to honor mandatory media commitments, according to AFP.

She claims they are detrimental to her mental health and likened the traditional post-match news conference to “kicking people when they’re down.”

Osaka said her mental health struggles began in 2018 when she won the first of her four majors at the US Open in a controversial final against Serena Williams.

“The truth is I have suffered bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that.”

“In Paris, I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious so I thought it was better to exercise self-care and skip the press conferences.”

According to AFP, Djokovic said he was not surprised that the Grand Slams had threatened to extend sanctions against Osaka even for future majors.

“The Grand Slams are protecting themselves and their own business,” said Djokovic.