Naomi Osaka will reportedly not play Wimbledon 2022 due to an ongoing achilles injury.
The tennis player posted a cryptic message following the news on Saturday. She did not explicitly say she would be skipping the third major of the year, but the answer is implied.
The four-time Grand Slam winner posted a message along with a photo of her on a grass tennis court, paying homage to Wimbledon. Her caption reads: “my Achilles still isn’t right so I’ll see you next time,” along with an emotional emoji face, a grass emoji and a waving hand emoji.
Based on the caption, it appears that the injury is her main reasoning for not playing at Wimbledon this year. She hasn’t played since her first round exit at the French Open.
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Her note, titled “after the storm comes the calm,” reads:
“This is a saying that I’m actively trying to master,” Osaka wrote. “I feel like life keeps dealing cards and you’re never gonna be used to them but it’s how you adapt to uncomfortable situations that really says stuff about your character. I’ve been repeating mantras a lot in my head recently. I don’t know if it’s to subconsciously help myself through stressful times or to ease my mind into realizing that everything will work out fine as long as I put in the work. Cause what more can you do? Everyday before I go to sleep I think of all the people I love and how grateful I am to have them in my life, I honestly just wish the best for them and I hope that my existence brings them as much joy as they do to me.”
Osaka has been in the spotlight for her mental health in the past, mostly during the 2021 season when she dropped out of the French Open and missed Wimbledon to focus on her mental health. She continues to be outspoken about where she stands mentally, which inspires younger athletes to do the same.
As Osaka continues to recover from her achilles injury, it is unclear when she plans to return to the court.
