Hollywood star Will Smith cheers on Naomi Osaka following French Open exit: ‘I am with you’
Osaka made headlines when she announced that she would drop out of competition
Actor Will Smith is the latest celebrity to cheer on tennis star Naomi Osaka after she dropped out of the French Open.
“Hey Naomi, You are Right. They are Wrong! I am with You,” the 52-year-old actor wrote in a note that he posted on social media.
Osaka, 23, made headlines when she announced that she would not be competing in the competition. This came following backlash over her decision to boycott all media activity amid dealing with anxiety and depression.
“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,” the world number two wrote on Twitter.
The Japanese tennis star had been fined $15,000 and threatened with disqualification after she refused to participate in a mandatory news conference following her first round win.
“The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that,” Osaka said in her statement following her withdrawal from the French Open.
Sports icons such as Serena and Venus Williams and Usain Bolt showed their support for Osaka, along with Hollywood celebrities including Olivia Munn, Patton Oswalt and Ava DuVernay.
— With inputs from AFP