Monfils said all players were not similarly equipped to deal with the pressure of being a top athlete.
Sabalenka overpowers Raducanu, Osaka falls
Osaka battled on gamely before retiring while trailing Kaia Kanepi 7-6(4), 3-0.
Naomi Osaka said she had spent a lot of time during the coronavirus shutdown thinking about how she wanted to approach her tennis.
Holger Rune rallied from a set down and saved a match point to defeat former champion Taylor Fritz 2-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals where he will meet fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
Serena Williams, Bianca Andreescu and Roger Federer have also pulled out of the Grand Slam.
The former world number one was especially proud of the way she has managed to mould her mindset to deal with tough losses.
Osaka will play Jennifer Brady for the title.
Naomi Osaka not only wants to win Grand Slams and hoist trophies but also hopes to be a role model in the way she carries herself on court, her coach Wim Fissette said.
The board reminded Osaka that 'a core element of the Grand Slam regulations is the responsibility of the players to engage with the media'
In a rematch of their tumultuous 2018 US Open decider, Osaka underlined her status as the new queen of women's tennis and soaked up the cheers from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as fans returned to the Grand Slam after a five-day lockdown.
Naomi Osaka said they had been on vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands when the incident happened.
Gauff survives scare, Osaka advances
Following a whirlwind few years, Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka can be forgiven for taking time to reset and relax as the sporting world goes on an indefinite pause due to the coronavirus crisis. Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam winner who also became the first Japanese player to reach world number one, had been preparing for another action-packed summer including her Olympics debut on home soil at Tokyo 2020.
Naomi Osaka was beaten 6-0, 6-4 by Greek 23rd seed Maria Sakkari.
Images from Day 2 of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.
Osaka also reached the final of the Western & Southern Open, which was held at Flushing Meadows this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to withdraw against Azarenka due to an injury.
Japan's Naomi Osaka crashed out of the French Open in a 7-5, 6-4 first-round loss
Jennifer Brady spent two weeks in hard quarantine gathering mental strength for her tilt at a maiden Grand Slam title and will hope there is plenty in reserve when she takes on Naomi Osaka in Saturday's Australian Open final.
Naomi Osaka's total is the most ever earned by a female athlete in a 12-month period.
Players competed at empty stadiums at Melbourne Park through the five-day lockdown but reduced capacity crowds of 7,477 have been permitted in each of Thursday's two sessions and the same number for the singles finals sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
Tennis superstar Serena Williams has her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian literally walking in her footsteps.
Naomi Osaka suffered more pain during her post-match news conference at the US Open
'However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support.'
Images from Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
'Take care of yourself and see you back winning soon!'
Naomi Osaka pulled out of the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament on Wednesday in New York City, in protest at racial injustice. Her decision follows protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.
A fan favourite, Naomi Osaka has struggled with uneven play since she withdrew from Roland Garros earlier this year amid a public row with tournament officials over required media appearances.
Organisers confirmed Osaka had withdrawn due to a left ankle injury and her opponent Sara Sorribes Tormo will now face lucky loser Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
Japanese comedy duo who said she was 'too sunburned' and 'needed some bleach'
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have long moved on from their tempestuous 2018 US Open title match but that will do nothing to dampen the suspense ahead of their blockbuster Australian Open semi-final on Thursday.
Japan's Naomi Osaka said on Sunday that while she has spent her entire life waiting to compete at the Olympics, the risks of holding the Tokyo Games amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic should continue to be carefully discussed.
Djokovic will need to win in Tokyo and then the US Open later this year to achieve the feat that has so far only been accomplished by Steffi Graf in 1988.
A gangster's recollections, a tennis champ's triumph and a two-timing teenager -- Sukanya Verma gives you OTT recommendations for the week.
Naomi Osaka faces Zheng before possible meeting with Coco Gauff
Naomi Osaka now gets to test her mental strength against a revitalised Victoria Azarenka, who stunned Serena Williams in Thursday's other blockbuster semi-final.
Belinda Bencic reached her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final on Wednesday, fending off Donna Vekic to win 7-6(5), 6-3 in their US Open last-eight clash.
'I wasn't expecting it (the call) to happen. It was a surprise. Apparently, my sister told my mom to do it'
Japan's Osaka ended the stand-off with the French tennis federation (FFT) by withdrawing from the claycourt major
World number two Aryna Sabalenka will not play at the Indian Wells tournament after testing positive for COVID-19, the 23-year-old said.
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