Osaka says Djokovic, Michelle Obama, others reached out

[ASFN Admin]

Naomi Osaka says former First Lady Michelle Obama and sports stars Novak Djokovic, Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry were among those who reached out to offer support after she withdrew from the French Open to take a mental health break. In an essay that appears in Time magazine’s Olympic preview issue, on sale Friday, Osaka -- a four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player -- wrote that she hopes “we can enact measures to protect athletes, especially the fragile ones,” and suggests they be allowed to sometimes skip media obligations without punishment. “There can be moments for any of us where we are dealing with issues behind the scenes,” the 23-year-old Osaka said.

Continue reading...