The announcement come a day after she was fined by the French Open following her decision not to speak with the press during the tournament.
Osaka won her first match against Patricia Mara Tig and was scheduled to face Ana Bogdan in the second round, had released a statement last Wednesday stating her intention to skip the obligatory press conference due to the effects it has on her mental health.
In a statement released on Monday, Osaka said she was leaving the tournament so that the focus could return to tennis after days of attention and widespread discussion.
“This isn’t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago. 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.
“I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer. More importantly I would never trivialise mental health or use the term lightly,” she wrote on social media.
The four-time grand slam champion said she has suffered from depression since the 2018 US Open final. Osaka defeated Serena Williams and won her first grand slam title in a controversial match the led to much media attention.
“Anyone that knows me knows I’m introverted, and anyone that has seen me at the tournaments will notice that I’m often wearing headphones as that helps dull my social anxiety.
“So here in Paris I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious so I thought it was better to exercise self‑care and skip the press conferences. I announced it pre-emptively because I do feel like the rules are quite outdated in parts and I wanted to highlight that,” Osaka wrote.
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