Is Naomi Osaka playing at the Olympics?
NAOMI Osaka is one of the best female tennis players in the world. Osaka, 23, made headlines after putting her mental health first after withdrawing from the 2021 French Open and later deciding not to compete in Wimbledon. The question surrounding Osaka is if she will be competing in the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. After appearing in a feature story in Time Magazine, she announced that she will represent Team Japan at the upcoming Olympics. "I have had the time to reflect, but also to look forward. I could not be more excited to play in Tokyo," she said. "An Olympic Games itself is special, but to have the opportunity to play in front of the Japanese fans is a dream come true. I hope I can make them proud." Born in Japan, Osaka renounced her American citizenship to represent the country back in 2019. Osaka withdrew from the French Open after citing concerns for her mental health. Back in May 2021, Osaka was fined and threatened with sanctions for skipping mandatory media obligations after revealing she had been experiencing depression and anxiety after winning her first major. "I am not a natural public speaker and get huge waves of anxiety before I speak to the world's media," she said in a statement to fans. "I get really nervous and find it stressful to always try and engage and give [the media] the best answers I can." She then went on to say that her decision to withdraw was in the best interest of the tournament. "I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris," Osaka continued. "I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and message could have been clearer." The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will run from Friday July 23 to August 8. There will be 339 events throughout 33 sports. The games will be held at the Japan National Stadium that was built in 2019 for the Olympic events. The first round of the tennis Women's Singles event will kick off July 24 at 10pm EST. The rest of the Women's Singles event schedule will be: