{"id":264828,"date":"2021-06-02T15:46:43","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T12:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/major-sponsors-back-naomi-osaka-after-french-open-withdrawal\/"},"modified":"2021-06-02T15:46:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T12:46:43","slug":"major-sponsors-back-naomi-osaka-after-french-open-withdrawal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/major-sponsors-back-naomi-osaka-after-french-open-withdrawal\/","title":{"rendered":"#Major sponsors back Naomi Osaka after French Open withdrawal"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Major sponsors back Naomi Osaka after French Open withdrawal<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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Naomi Osaka\u2019s sponsors are standing by her.<\/p>\n

Sports app<\/a>arel giant Nike, which signed a sponsorship deal with Osaka in 2019, commended the 23-year-old tennis star for opening up about her struggles with depression after she dropped out of the French Open.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur thoughts are with Naomi. We support her and recognize her courage in sharing her own mental health experience,\u201d Nike said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Osaka dropped out of the Grand Slam event after she was fined $15,000 for not speaking to the media<\/a> following her first round match on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey everyone, this isn\u2019t a situation I ever imagined or intended when I posted a few days ago. I think now the best thing for the tournament, the others players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,\u201d Osaka wrote Monday on Twitter<\/a>. \u201cI never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore importantly I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other sponsors of Osaka, the No. 2-ranked women\u2019s player in the world, followed Nike\u2019s lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaomi Osaka\u2019s decision reminds us all how important it is to prioritize personal health and well-being,\u201d Mastercard said in a statement. \u201cWe support her and admire her courage to address important issues, both on and off the court.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer said that it supports its brand <\/strong>ambassadors \u201cin triumph but also during challenging periods,\u201d according to CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaomi is going through difficult times and we truly hope to see her back soon. She is a great champion and we are convinced that she will come out of this period stronger, be it professionally or personally,\u201d the company told the outlet in a statement.<\/p>\n

\"FFT
FFT (Federation Francaise de Tennis) president and former player Gilles Moretton was slammed for his decision after threatening to disqualify Naomi Osaka from the tournament.<\/figcaption>
JOEL SAGET\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nissin Foods, a Japanese company known for its instant noodles, Japanese automaker Nissan and Nippon Airways, a Tokyo-based airline, all also voiced support for Osaka\u2019s decision, according to CNN.<\/p>\n

Sweetgreen, the US restaurant chain, told CNN, \u201cOur partnership with Naomi is rooted in wellness in all its forms. We support her in furthering the conversation around mental health and are proud to have her as part of the sweetgreen team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Osaka is a brand ambassador and investor of Sweetgreen.<\/p>\n

\"A
A Nike billboard featuring tennis player Naomi Osaka is seen on display in New York City on June 1, 2021. <\/figcaption>
EPA\/JUSTIN LANE<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Osaka\u2019s decision to withdraw from the French Open has been both lauded and criticized. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova was among those to express support for Osaka.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so sad about Naomi Osaka. I truly hope she will be ok,\u201d the nine-time Wimbledon champion tweeted. \u201cAs athletes we are taught to take care of our body, and perhaps the mental [and] emotional aspect gets short shrift. This is about more than doing or not doing a press conference. Good luck Naomi \u2014 we are all pulling for you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry also tweeted that Osaka \u201cshouldn\u2019t ever have to make a decision like this \u2014 but so damn impressive taking the high road when the powers that be don\u2019t protect their own. Major respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serena Williams, who\u2019s still competing in the French Open, has also come to Osaka\u2019s support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi. I feel like I wish I could give her a hug because I know what it\u2019s like. Like I said, I\u2019ve been in those positions,\u201d Williams said after her first-round win over Romania\u2019s Irina-Camelia Begu.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone is the same. We have different personalities. I\u2019m thick. Other people are thin. Everyone is different and everyone handles things differently. You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to and the best way she thinks she can,\u201d the 23-time Grand Slam winner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the only thing I can say: I think she is doing the best she can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Serena
Serena Williams gets emotional at a press conference after losing her women\u2019s semi-final match against Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open on Feb. 18, 2021.<\/figcaption>
ROB PREZIOSO\/TENNIS AUSTRALIA\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Others, however, have said facing the media is part of an athlete\u2019s job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always believed that\u2019s part of the job,\u201d Tennis legend Boris Becker told Eurosport<\/a>. \u201cWithout the media, there isn\u2019t any prize money, there isn\u2019t any contracts and just you don\u2019t get half the cake.\u201d\n <\/div>\n