Fourth seeded Naomi Osaka has reached the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open but withdrew her participation from the WTA tournament after an African American named Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, near Milwaukee, USA.
This was a call for racial justice, drawing quick support from other players in the tour. Naomi Osaka’s step led to the whole tournament to be put on hold for a day. On Twitter, the Japanese tennis star announced that as a Black woman, she feels compelled to pull out of the tournament to put a focus on police shootings.
Read Naomi Osaka’s statement:
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 27, 2020
