Naomi Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon but will compete at Tokyo Olympics, agent confirms

Naomi Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, said Thursday in an email that the four-time Grand Slam champion does plan to head to the Summer Games i.e. the Tokyo Olympics after skipping Wimbledon.

"She is taking some personal time with friends and family," Duguid wrote. "She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."

After her shocking exit from the recently-concluded French Open 2021, the current World No. 2 has once again decided to withdraw from another Grand Slam tournament. 

Last month, Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 when she didn’t speak to reporters after her first-round victory at the French Open. The next day, Osaka pulled out of the tournament entirely, saying she experiences "huge waves of anxiety" before meeting with the media and revealing she has "suffered long bouts of depression."

Wimbledon 2021

After being the only Grand Slam to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis last year, the Wimbledon commences from June 28, 2021, onwards. The event is likely to feature all the Men's top seeds, including Roger Federer and all the Women's top seeds. Having been forced to shut down the tournament as the UK was grappling with one of the worst outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus - incidentally, the first time the tournament has been cancelled since it was called off during the Second World War - the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club will once again host the Championships this year.

Current men's top-seeded tennis player Novak Djokovic will be defending his title while Romania's Simola Halep had won the women's singles title. The prestigious tournament concludes on  Sunday 11 July 2021.

Will the fans get to watch their favourite stars in action at the arena?

The AELTC has announced that both the Men's and Women's Wimbledon singles finals will have crowds in full attendance at the prestigious Centre Court. This will make the Slam the very first outdoor sporting event in the United Kingdom to be allowed crowds at full capacity since the start of the pandemic last year. This, despite the fact that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a delay in easing the country's lockdown restrictions to July 19, putting already struggling businesses at further risk.
While not many in the public are overjoyed about this allowance, considering that most of them are still reeling from the effects of the regulations, tennis fans do seem excited at the prospect of seeing their favourite players in action once again. As per the official statement by the All England Club, "We are pleased to have worked closely with the government, public health bodies, and our local authority in Merton, to confirm that the Championships 2021 will begin on Monday 28 June with 50 per cent capacity across the Grounds, building to full capacity crowds of 15,000 on Centre Court for the Finals weekend".

(With AP Inputs)