‘POINTLESS’

Naomi Osaka ‘Leaning More Towards’ Skipping Wimbledon Over Russia Decision

The tennis superstar sat out Wimbledon last year due to mental health concerns.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has indicated she might skip Wimbledon for the second year in a row, this time because there are no ranking points on offer. Tennis officials said Friday that no points would be awarded because Wimbledon has banned Russian and Belarusian players due to the war in Ukraine. “I would love to go just to get some experience on the grass court, but at the same time, for me, it’s kind of like—I don’t want to say pointless, no pun intended—but I’m the type of player that gets motivated by, like, seeing my ranking go up or stuff like that,” she said. “...I didn’t even make my decision yet, but I’m leaning more towards not playing.” The four-time Grand Slam champ desperately needs the points; she has slipped to 38th in the world and is likely to drop further after bowing out of the French Open in the first round on Monday. Osaka skipped Wimbledon in 2021 so she could have a mental health break.