Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts during her match against Maria Sakkari of Greece in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami Gardens, Florida in March. AP PHOTOThe leaders of the four Grand Slam tournaments reacted on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) to tennis star Naomi Osaka's stunning withdrawal from the French Open by promising to address players' concerns about mental health. Tennis players are required to attend news conferences if requested to do so; Grand Slam rules allow for fines up to $20,000 if they don't show up. "On behalf of the Grand Slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court. We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling and we empathize with the unique pressures tennis players may face."

Source: Manila Times June 02, 2021 16:30 UTC