New Delhi: Japan’s Naomi Osaka has decided to pull out of Wimbledon 2021, but will take part in the Olympic Games to be held in Japan this year. The tennis player’s agent confirmed this on Thursday. The championship will be played from June 28 to July 11 this year.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka withdrew from the French Open 2021 last month after winning the first round. Organizers fined him $15,000 and threatened him with suspension from Roland Garros. When he refused to attend the post-match press conference.
Osaka’s agent Stuart Duguid wrote in an email to Reuters: “Naomi will not play Wimbledon this year. She wants to spend some personal time with friends and family. Meanwhile, she will prepare herself for the Olympics. He is looking forward to playing in front of his home fans.”
Osaka has become the second major player to leave the championship after Rafael Nadal, who made the decision to focus on taking care of his body and prolonging his career.
20-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, who lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros semi-finals earlier this month, said the small gap between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, which starts on June 28, is enough for him to recover. does not give time. Nadal said that the Olympic Games will always be special to him and he has the honor of representing Spain in three Olympics.
Nadal said, “Hello, I have decided not to participate in this year’s Wimbledon Championships and the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It is never an easy decision, but after discussing it with my body and with my team, I think it is the right decision.”
(with agency inputs)