Serena Williams provided her support to Naomi Osaka on Monday (May 31) after the Japanese participant’s determination to withdraw from the French Open within the wake of her boycott of press conferences. In an announcement on Monday, Osaka stated she didn’t need her stance to grow to be a distraction and stated that she had been coping with psychological well being points since 2018.
Williams, 39, was inevitably requested for her response to Osaka’s determination following her first-round win over Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu. “Honestly I just found out before I walked into the press conference, so that’s the extent of it right now for me,” Williams instructed reporters.
Pushed for her opinion on Osaka’s declare final week that post-match media conferences had been damaging her psychological wellbeing, and Monday’s surprising growth, Williams stated: “The solely factor I really feel is that I really feel for Naomi. I really feel like I want I might give her a hug as a result of I do know what it’s like. Like I stated, I’ve been in these positions. We have totally different personalities, and persons are totally different. Not everybody is similar. I’m thick (skinned). Other persons are skinny. Everyone is totally different and everybody handles issues in a different way.
“You just have to let her handle it the way she wants to, in the best way she thinks she can, and that`s the only thing I can say. I think she`s doing the best that she can.”
Williams stated it was vital for gamers to have somebody to use as a ‘sounding board’ in powerful instances. “You have to be able to make an effort and say, I need help with A, B, C, and D, and talk to someone,” she stated.
“Whether it`s someone at the WTA or whether it’s someone in your life. Maybe it’s someone that you just talk to on a weekly basis. I’ve been in that position, too. I’ve definitely had opportunities to talk to people, kind of get things off my chest that I can`t necessarily talk to anyone in my family or anyone that I know.”
Survives scare in first night time match at Roland Garros
Serena Williams survived a scare within the first ever night time session match on the French Open as she edged out Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (6), 6-2 within the first spherical on Monday. Organisers have launched night time matches beneath the Philippe Chatrier Court lights this yr to present some late drama for the followers however the match was performed in an empty stadium due to a COVID-19 curfew within the French capital.
The flat environment hardly helped the 39-year-old Williams who squandered a 5-2 lead within the first set in opposition to a difficult opponent who battled again to transfer right into a tiebreaker. Begu then led 6-4 and Williams obtained fortunate with a return that clipped the tape, earlier than rattling off 4 factors to win the opener with a drive volley she celebrated with a roar that echoed across the empty stands.
Three-time Roland Garros champion Williams, who has been caught on 23 Grand Slam titles, one behind Margaret Court`s all-time document, was way more assured within the second set and managed to declare the victory with out additional fuss.
Williams has been agonisingly shut to matching Court’s document since profitable the 2017 Australian Open in her final Grand Slam occasion earlier than changing into a mom. She has fallen in 4 Grand Slam finals and earlier this yr misplaced within the semi-finals on the Australian Open.
