Naomi Osaka pulls-out from WTA semis following Black Lives issue

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Japanese tennis superstar Naomi Osaka withdrew from her WTA Western and Southern Open semifinal match to show support in the protest against the police involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Osaka, who was supposed to trade shots against Elise Mertens from Belgium, confirmed that she will no longer participate in the tournament with the new issue regarding racial injustice.

“Before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis,” posted Osaka in her Twitter account.

Following the shooting, all NBA playoff games, Major League Baseball, and the WNBA postponed their schedules as a form of protest.

“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction,” Osaka added.

With Osaka’s withdrawal from the prestigious tournament, Mertens will automatically advance to the finals and will wait for her opponent.