Naomi Osaka pulls out of Wimbledon, says she wants to spend time with family & friends

World No. 2 Naomi Osaka has confirmed that she will not be playing this year's Wimbledon Championships.

According to a statement released by her team on Thursday, the Japanese star intends to take some personal time off over the next few weeks. She will, however, participate in this year's Olympics, which will take place in her home country.

Naomi Osaka had also withdrawn mid-way through the French Open following the bitter fallout from her decision to skip press conferences at the event.

"Naomi Osaka won’t be playing Wimbledon this year," the team's statement read. "She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."

BREAKING: Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Wimbledon. A statement from her team says: "Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year. She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."

— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) June 17, 2021

Naomi Osaka had sparked doubt over her Wimbledon participation earlier this month by pulling out of the bett1Open, a tune-up event in Berlin. The latest announcement from her team is due confirmation of the speculation over the last few weeks.

"It is really important that every and any player knows that our door is open at any time" - Wimbledon organizers

Naomi Osaka will be missing the 2021 Wimbledon Championships

A day before the withdrawal announcement, Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker and All-England Club CEO Sally Bolton gave their thoughts on Naomi Osaka's controversial media boycott at Roland Garros.

Osaka's decision to skip her Paris press conferences in order to safeguard her mental health had initially been met with hostility by the four Grand Slams (including Wimbledon). They had warned the Japanese that she would risk facing severe sanctions - including suspension from future Slams - if she continued ignoring her media obligations.

But while speaking to a British daily on Wednesday, the Wimbledon organizers seemingly extended support towards Naomi Osaka's stand. They claimed that they wanted all of the sport's top stars - both male and female - to be present at this year's Championships.

Sally Bolton, chief executive officer, asserted that the organizers were willing to have a discourse about any issues that might be hampering a player's participation at the grasscourt Slam.

"It is really important that every and any player knows that our door is open at any time, they can have a conversation with us about any issues and that door is always open," Sally Bolton said.

Bolton added that Wimbledon were 'striving to do better' in such nuanced situations and that they were continually working with the other Slams, as well as the ATP and WTA tours, in a bid to protect players' interests.

"We will continue to do that. It is also important to acknowledge that as an organisation and as a group of organisations as the Grand Slam and Tours we are always striving to do better. And think about how we can continue to improve things," Bolton said.

Jamie Baker, who was appointed as the Wimbledon tournament director in 2020, was also asked whether Naomi Osaka would be fined if she entered the event and failed to appear at her press conferences. The Brit was non-committal in his reply, but he did give an assurance that the organizers were open to a discussion on the topic.

"It is really hard to predict what may or may not happen in the future. It is a hypothetical," Baker said. "What I have said, and I will repeat what I have said, we are completely open to a discussion."

"On this topic we know that this can be… people can still see this in a number of different ways," he added. "And the opportunities that are there for players, both on and off the court at these big tournaments, are really, really great."