Women's Tennis

Serena Williams announced Sunday that she will not compete in the 2021 Summer Olympics beginning next month in Tokyo.

Williams told reporters at Wimbledon that she had reasons for pulling out of Olympic consideration but didn't want to discuss them:

"There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. I don't really want to—I don't feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.

"I have not thought about it. In the past [the Olympics] has been a wonderful place for me. I really haven't thought about it, so I'm going to keep not thinking about it."

The 39-year-old veteran is one of the most successful Olympic tennis players of all time, winning singles gold in 2012 and doubles gold with her sister, Venus Williams, in 2000, 2008 and 2012.

Only Venus and Great Britain's Kathleen McKane Godfree have more Olympic tennis medals than Serena with five each.

Serena last competed in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but she surprisingly left without a medal, as she was upset by Elina Svitolina in the third round of women's singles, while she and Venus lost in the first round of the women's doubles tournament.

Williams' 23 career Grand Slam singles titles are the most of any player in the Open Era, although she hasn't won a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open.

Serena has reached four Grand Slam finals since then, losing each time. This year, she reached the semifinals of the Aussie Open and the fourth round of the French Open.

Williams is still the No. 8-ranked women's tennis player in the world and the second-ranked American player behind only No. 6 Sofia Kenin.

Nick Kyrgios announced Saturday he'll play mixed doubles with Venus Williams during the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, which begin Monday.

"The mixed doubles team of the tournament," Kyrgios told reporters.

The 26-year-old Aussie hinted toward an appearance in the mixed doubles draw Tuesday:

MIXED DUBS WIMBY???? 👑👑👑

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 22, 2021

Williams is an accomplished doubles player, often playing with her sister Serena in Grand Slam events—the siblings are a staggering 14-0 in major finals as a team and also won three Olympic gold medals—but she also teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles in 1998.

Her partnership with Kyrgios is nearly four years in the making.

Williams, who's also captured seven Grand Slam singles titles during her Hall of Fame career, mentioned him as a dream doubles partner in 2017, which caught the eye of the hard-hitting Australian:

Thankssssss legend 🙌🏽🙇🏽 https://t.co/GwxCVVNjrQ

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) October 24, 2017

Kyrgios has never advanced beyond the third round of a doubles tournament in a Grand Slam, so it will be uncharted territory for him if the star-studded tandem makes a deep run at the All England Club.

Both players are also taking part in their respective singles events. Williams will take on Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first round on the women's side, while Kyrgios faces a tough matchup with 21st-seeded Ugo Humbert in his opener in the men's bracket.

The mixed doubles draw will be released Wednesday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said he has "compassion and empathy" for Naomi Osaka as she takes time away from tennis to focus on her mental health.

Brady explained on HBO's The Shop on Friday he "went through a lot of things" in his late teens and early 20s that he "didn't know how to deal with."

"Now as someone who's twice her age, you have compassion and empathy for that," the 43-year-old NFL superstar said about the 23-year-old tennis sensation. "You hope that she can deal with that, because you wouldn't want that to take away from her true joy of playing tennis."

Osaka announced in late May she didn't plan to take part in the mandatory press conferences during the 2021 French Open, saying she felt "people have no regard for athletes' mental health."

The French Open, one of tennis' four Grand Slam events, fined the Japan native $15,000 for not meeting her media requirements after her first-round win over Patricia Maria Tig. She subsequently announced her withdrawal from the tournament and noted she'd "take some time away from the court."

pic.twitter.com/LN2ANnoAYD

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021

Osaka confirmed through her agency last week she wouldn't take part in the Wimbledon Championships beginning Monday, but she's planning to return to the WTA Tour before the Summer Olympics, which will take place in her home country starting in late July.

"Naomi won't be playing Wimbledon this year," the statement read. "She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."

Brady said on The Shop he understands the difficulty of handling press conferences, referencing former Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch's famed "I'm just here so I don't get fined" media session before Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, but he also explained why he hasn't stopped doing them during a two-decade career.

"No, because I think you're in an enterprise and I'm an employee of that enterprise. You know, I'm not my own entrepreneur where I can make my own individual choices," he said. "... You're still in this structured system, so you gotta feel like you gotta play by—at least my own [view] is 'I have to play by their rules.'"

Brady captured his seventh Super Bowl championship in February to cap his first season with the Bucs after 20 years with the New England Patriots.

Osaka has already secured four major titles, two in the Australian Open and two in the U.S. Open, and will likely be the favorite to take home the gold medal in Tokyo at the Summer Olympic Games.

Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty were revealed as the top seeds for the 2021 Wimbledon Championships as part of Friday's tournament draws.

Djokovic is the defending champion on the men's side after beating Roger Federer in a memorable five-set marathon final in 2019. Wimbledon was canceled last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Simona Halep, the 2019 women's champ, announced Friday on Instagram she wouldn't be able to defend her title because of a calf injury.

Let's check out all of the important details for tennis' third Grand Slam event of the year. That's followed by an overview of some storylines to watch from both singles brackets.

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Key Wimbledon Information

Location: All England Club in London

Scheduled Dates: Monday, June 28 — Sunday, July 11

Watch: ESPN and ESPN2

Live Stream: Watch ESPN

Men's Draw: Official Bracket

Women's Draw: Official Bracket

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Tournament Preview

Men's Draw

Djokovic is halfway to the calendar Grand Slam after capturing the Australian Open championship in February and the French Open title in mid-June. He'd become the first men's singles player to accomplish the feat since Rod Laver in 1969. Laver also did it in 1962.

The 34-year-old Serbian superstar has a highly favorable draw in the early rounds. Big-serving Kevin Anderson could pose a little bit of a challenge as a potential second-round opponent, but the No. 1 seed will be a heavy favorite to make it through to the event's second week without much drama.

Given his recent form, Djokovic probably won't face a serious test until a potential quarterfinal matchup with fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev.

Here's a look at all the possible quarterfinals if the seeds hold:

Gentlemen's Singles - Projected Quarter-finals

Djokovic vs Rublev
Tsitsipas vs Bautista Agut
Zverev vs Berrettini
Medvedev vs Federer#Wimbledon

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 25, 2021

Federer's return to the All England Club will attract a lot of attention since he dropped out of the French Open after reaching the fourth round to focus on continued recovery from his knee injuries.

"After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation, it's important that I listen to my body and make sure I don't push myself too quickly on my road to recovery," Federer said June 6. "I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court."

The eight-time Wimbledon champion returned to action at the Halle Open in Germany last week, but he suffered a loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in his second match of the warm-up event.

Federer's uncertain form and fitness make him a longer shot than he'd typically be at Wimbledon, but if there's one major where he's capable of pulling off the unexpected, it's this one.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray was granted a wild card for the event and will look to progress beyond the second round of a major for the first time since 2017 as he's worked to overcome injuries of his own.

The 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon winner opens with a tough matchup against No. 24 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, but there's a definite path for a run if he makes it through that match, especially if 10th-seeded Denis Shapovalov is upset before their possible third-round encounter.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev are the other title hopefuls to watch on the men's side.

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Women's Draw

Barty was in terrific form heading toward the French Open having won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Germany and reached the final of the Madrid Open in Spain. She was forced to withdraw from the Italian Open and at Roland-Garros because of injuries, however, and she didn't play a grass warm-up event.

It sets the stage for what could be another unpredictable women's draw after the French Open, which saw just one top-10 seed reach the quarterfinals.

Ladies' Singles - Projected Quarter-finals

Barty (1) vs Andreescu (5)
Svitolina (3) vs S.Williams (6)

Kenin (4) vs Ka. Pliskova (8)
Sabalenka (2) vs Swiatek (7)#Wimbledon

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 25, 2021

Serena Williams was among the notable players knocked out earlier than expected in Paris, losing in the fourth round to Elena Rybakina in straight sets.

Williams has captured 23 Grand Slam singles titles, leaving her one short of tying Margaret Court for the all-time record, but that next major championship has been elusive. Her last triumph on one of tennis' biggest stages came at the 2017 Australian Open, though she's reached four finals since that title.

That includes back-to-back trips to the Wimbledon final in 2018 and 2019. She's won the event seven times. So this is a golden opportunity for her to break the drought with no clear favorite in the field.

Beyond Barty and Williams, there's a large group of second-tier contenders all with a realistic chance of making a championship charge. Petra Kvitova, Aryna Sabalenka, Garbine Muguruza, Bianca Andreescu and Iga Swiatek are just a handful of the players from that group.

Coco Gauff is another player to keep tabs on throughout the fortnight. The 17-year-old American reached the quarterfinals of a major for the first time at the French Open, and her game should be even better suited for the grass courts of the All England Club.

"I'm excited to go back for sure. I think my most memorable thing I remember from Wimbledon is just the crowd experience," Gauff said earlier this month after reaching the fourth round in her first appearance at the tournament in 2019.

A possible fourth-round clash between Williams and Gauff would have Match of the Year potential if both players are at their best.

Naomi Osaka is withdrawing from Wimbledon after also pulling out of the French Open. 

"She is taking some personal time with friends and family," her representatives said in a statement, per SportsCenter on Twitter. "She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans."

It's a huge loss for the tournament, as the 23-year-old has emerged as the brightest young star in tennis. It follows Rafael Nadal announcing he too would be skipping Wimbledon, along with the Tokyo Olympics:

The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at he maximum level of competition.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 17, 2021

Sport prevention of any kind of excess in my body is a very important factor at this stage of my career in order to try to keep fighting for the highest level of competition and titles.

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 17, 2021

Before Osaka's and Nadal's withdrawals, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said Thursday that Wimbledon organizers had been in contact with Osaka and other players about this year's media setup.

"We have started a consultation," she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. "Of course, that consultation needs to include not just the players, but the media and all of those engaged in that space. We are always striving to do things better."

Osaka had announced on May 26 that she wouldn't be doing press at Roland Garros, and the tournament responded by fining her $15,000. 

❤️ pic.twitter.com/EegFSKnoie

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 26, 2021

"We have advised Naomi Osaka that should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further Code of Conduct infringement consequences," the four Grand Slam tournaments wrote in a joint statement.

"As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament and the trigger of a major offence investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions."

On May 31 Osaka pulled out of the tournament altogether, writing in a Twitter post that she had been battling with depression and social anxiety and had felt it would be better for her mental health to not meet with the press. She wrote that she planned to take some time away from the court:

pic.twitter.com/LN2ANnoAYD

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) May 31, 2021

Osaka had already pulled out of this week's Berlin WTA 5000 grass-court tournament ahead of Wimbledon, which begins June 28. 

Barbora Krejcikova hung on during the final set to beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in the French Open final Saturday to secure her first Grand Slam title in just her fifth major appearance.

The unseeded Czech is now the reigning "Queen of Paris" and the tournament's eighth different champion in eight years.

Krejcikova had a bit of history on her side after winning the first set 6-1. Seventeen of the last 19 final winners won the opening set.

Pavlyuchenkova fought valiantly through a left leg injury in the deciding set, adding adversity to an already pressure-packed final, but she couldn't go the distance against the determined Krejcikova.

Despite having won two women's doubles slams, the 25-year old completed one of the most unlikely runs to a singles Grand Slam title, defeating Maria Sakkari in the semifinal to face the 31st-seeded Pavlyuchenkova.

And she did it in front of fellow Czech and idol Martina Navratilova, who was on hand at the legendary clay courts of Roland Garros.

"I just want to thank everyone for coming today and cheering for us," Krejcikova told the crowd. "The atmosphere was amazing. I was super happy that I was able to enjoy it. I am just really happy. I just thank Martina Navratilova and all the others and my team and my coach and everyone back home. It’s hard to put words together. I cannot believe that I won a grand slam.

"I was going though a hard time when Jana Novotna passed her away. Pretty much her last words to me were, 'Just enjoy and try to win a Grand Slam.' Pretty much this whole thing is because she is looking down. She was such an inspiration. I just really miss her and hope she is happy right now. I am extremely happy."

Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova wins the French Open 🏆

And she's in contention to win the doubles title as well 👊 pic.twitter.com/h2yF1fIpfr

— ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) June 12, 2021

Next up for Krejcikova is the chase for the women's doubles title.

With a win on Sunday, she can become the first woman to win a singles and doubles title at the French Open since Mary Pierce did it in 2000.

Krejcikova will also look to bring her winning ways to Wimbledon in July.

But unlike the French Open, which saw Serena Williams get upset in the fourth round by 21-year-old Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka withdraw after citing concerns for her mental health, the field at tennis' premier event will be very challenging.

Williams is on the decline, but she has dominated the grass courts at Wimbledon to win a record seven titles and could be one of the biggest obstacles to any contender.

Osaka has pulled out of a grass-court event in Berlin that normally serves as a tune-up for Wimbledon. If the No. 2-ranked player in the world is absent, it does leave the door a little bit more open for Krejcikova and others.

Still, Ashleigh Barty, who had to pull the plug on her run at the French Open because of a left hip injury, will be in the field, and the world No. 1 is hungrily searching for her first win in London.

                

Prediction

While the win at the French Open could be the springboard for big things to come for Krejcikova, it won't start at Wimbledon.

The young Czech player does have a game for all surfaces, but so does Barty, who has quickness that separates her from the field.

It should be the Barty Show given the concerns around the form of Williams and whether Osaka will be able to play. She'll be out to avenge her round-of-16 loss to Alison Riske in 2019.

None of the women's favorites for the 2021 French Open have made it to the end of the tournament. Naomi Osaka withdrew after the first round. Ashleigh Barty injured her hip in the second round. Serena Williams lost in the fourth round, and Coco Gauff fell in the quarterfinals.

That means the final will feature two players who had never previously made it past the quarterfinals at a major tournament: No. 31-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and unranked Barbora Krejcikova. One of these women will capture her first Grand Slam title when the two face off Saturday at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

There have been plenty of surprises along the way at this year's French Open. No player seeded better than No. 8 reached the quarterfinals, while two unranked players (including Krejcikova) made it to that point.

Here's everything you need to know heading into Saturday's final.

      

Women's Final Information

Date: Saturday, June 12

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports app

Prize Money: Winner earns $1.69 million; runner-up earns $907,880

       

Preview, Prediction

Pavlyuchenkova may have never previously made it past the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam event, but she's been playing in major tournaments for a long time. The 29-year-old Russian's first appearance at one came at Wimbledon in 2007.

Not only that, but Pavlyuchenkova had made it to the quarterfinals six times, including at the 2011 French Open. But in her following nine trips to Roland Garros, she never advanced further than the third round.

Things have gone much better for Pavlyuchenkova this year. She's won six straight matches to reach the final, which includes three victories against seeded opponents. Her most impressive win came in the third round, when she defeated No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 2-6, 6-0.

Pavlyuchenkova then beat No. 15 Victoria Azarenka and No. 21 Elena Rybakina in the following two rounds, both in three sets. By beating unseeded Tamara Zidansek in the semifinals in straight sets, Pavlyuchenkova secured her spot in the French Open final.

"It's been a long road," Pavlyuchenkova said, per D'Arcy Maine on ESPN.com. "It's been a lot of ups and downs. It's been a tough one. I definitely didn't expect this year being in the final. I guess you can't expect those things. I was just there working hard, doing everything possible."

As for Krejcikova, she is much less experienced when it comes to competing in major tournaments. The 25-year-old from the Czech Republic hadn't qualified for one until the 2018 French Open. And this is only the fifth time that she's played in the main draw at a Grand Slam event.

Krejcikova's best previous showing came at last year's French Open, when she reached the fourth round. This year, she has taken down four seeded opponents among her six victories. Krejcikova defeated No. 5 Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the third round, and she also beat Gauff in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

In the semis, Krejcikova defeated No. 17 Maria Sakkari 7-5, 4-6, 9-7. Now, she'll need to beat yet another seeded opponent if she hopes to make an improbable underdog run to her first career Grand Slam title.

"I just think it's going to be a lot of fun," Krejcikova said, per Maine. "I'm just really going to enjoy it because I was never expecting to actually be this far during this tournament. I'm just going to have fun and just going to enjoy and fight until the end."

That mindset could help Krejcikova score yet another upset victory. However, Pavlyuchenkova has been waiting longer to get here. And after coming up short in the quarterfinals or earlier at Grand Slam events a number of times, she's going to be extra motivated to capitalize on this opportunity.

It's going to be a close matchup, as both of these women have played competitive matches throughout the tournament. And neither of them have played on a stage this big before, so there will be nerves from both of them, particularly early on in the match.

But Pavlyuchenkova's experience will pay off, and she'll find a way to dig deep in the third set and finally emerge victorious as the winner at a major tournament. In her 14th French Open appearance, Pavlyuchenkova will leave Roland Garros as the champion.

Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova wins in three sets

Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka criticized the French Open for gender equality following her fourth-round loss at Roland Garros on Sunday.

Azarenka told reporters that while there are equal sums of prize money ($1.7 million) awarded to competitors on the men's and women's sides of the competition, the organizers fall short in other areas of the game. 

A two-time major winner and former world No. 1, Azarenka called the disaparities "disappointing" and said there was a need to "hold some people accountable." 

"I think there [are] enough examples over the years where we've heard remarks towards women, where we've seen two women's semifinal matches playing on the outside courts," she said. "I mean, you guys, if you follow tennis, you know what I'm talking about. I think there [are] no surprises that I can reveal here." 

In 2019, both men's semifinals matches were held on Roland Garros' center court, Court Philippe Chatrier, and neither women's semifinal match was scheduled there, per D'Arcy Maine of ESPN.

Azarenka's comments stemmed from a question about the inaugural night sessions at this year's tournament. There are seven matches being played at night, and just one featured women: a first-round tilt between Serena Williams and Irina-Camelia Begu. 

Guy Forget, the tournament director, said that could have changed in a potential fourth-round match between Ashleigh Barty and Coco Gauff, noting that was "the kind of match you potentially want to see on a night match." But that was stymied by Barty's withdrawal due to injury.

"So it is very hard to choose," he said. "Would people rather watch Roger Federer or at the moment, some of the ladies matches that are happening? It's a tough call to make. But I guess this is the path we took and we'll see how that goes next year."

Forget said there would be an open discussion regarding scheduling heading into next year's tournament. 

Serena Williams was knocked out of the 2021 French Open after Elena Rybakina earned a 6-3, 7-5 upset in the fourth round Sunday.

Rybakina needed just one hour, 17 minutes to secure the win, which featured five breaks over the two sets and 49 percent of return points won.

Williams has not reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros since finishing as the runner-up in 2016, and she has been stuck on 23 career Grand Slam titles since her 2017 Australian Open victory.

This was already Rybakina's deepest run at a Grand Slam, and the 21-year-old will now make her first quarterfinal appearance against No. 31 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who upset Victoria Azarenka earlier in the day.

Williams entered the match as the much bigger name with a more impressive resume, but it was Rybakina who won her first three matches of this event in straight sets. The No. 21 seed kept the momentum going against the seventh-seeded Williams.

Rybakina won two breaks in the first set on the way to a 6-3 win to put the American in an early hole:

First set Rybakina over Serena 6-3

Rybakina 2 for 2 on break points. Her big serve and flat baseline power giving her the early edge#getty pic.twitter.com/FV93Coe1hv

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) June 6, 2021

Elena Rybakina was such a revelation at the start of the 2020 season, and her clean, easy hitting is working well against Serena early so far.

#21 Rybakina takes the first set 6-3 over #7 Serena.#RG21

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/TennisPodcast/status/1401577235602083845

The Kazakhstan native gained even more control with an early break in the second set and more quality winners.

Rybakina on the move 👀#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/Fz9YZBCaM7

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2021

Rybakina right on 🎯#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/1VUcw5soFv

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2021

Williams fought back and eventually led 3-2 and 5-4 after breaks, looking like she would even up the match with a second-set victory.

Pure power ⚡️#RolandGarros | @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/ULu5Lhoz8D

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2021

It wasn't meant to be as sloppy play held back the superstar, who finished the day with 19 unforced errors and just 15 winners. She also got only 57 percent of her first serves in play.

After a break in the 11th game of the set, Rybakina closed out the match with her serve for arguably the biggest win in her young career.

Biggest win of her career: clinched. 👊

Elena Rybakina upsets Serena Williams in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals in Paris.
How it happened: https://t.co/ERTqPDKTXH#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/U9lpXwXYhJ

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 6, 2021

Williams has had an up-and-down 2021 season during which she has been limited by a shoulder injury and inconsistency. She reached the Australian Open semifinals but went 1-2 over her next two tournaments in May, both on clay in Italy.

A fourth-round exit in Paris represents more disappointment for a player who has won this event three times. The 39-year-old will now look to bounce back by Wimbledon, scheduled to begin on June 28.

American tennis star Sloane Stephens said Saturday mental health should be a "top priority for everyone," including players on the WTA Tour.

"I feel like a lot of players on our tour suffer in silence. I think that is not cool and not fair and we should definitely approach it differently," Stephens told reporters. "The more support, the better. I think not only for us girls supporting each other but for the tour to be able to support us in different ways is super helpful."

Her comments come in the wake of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrawing from the 2021 French Open on Monday, saying she's suffered "long bouts of depression" since her first major triumph at the 2018 U.S. Open.

Stephens, the 2017 U.S. Open champion, advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros with a straight-sets victory over No. 18 seed Karolina Muchova on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Florida native explained that while players are rivals on the court, they're often friends outside of the lines as they travel around the world together playing tournaments all year.

"As competitors and colleagues, I think it's important to support each other just because, honestly, on the road every single week we're really all we have," she said. "We're the same faces that we see all the time. I think it's super important to be able to support each other through, you know, the ups and downs, because obviously tennis is super emotional."

Stephens explained the internet has created another direct avenue for criticism and added to "all these things that creep into your mind."

"It's really important to be able to talk to people, talk to someone, just about what you're feeling, what you're going through," she said. "It's not easy to just pretend that everything is great when it's not."

Leaders of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments released a joint statement after the withdrawal of Osaka, who'd been fined $15,000 for skipping media requirements—a move she had previously explained was because she struggled to handle them mentally—after her first-round win, saying they'll work to "create meaningful improvements" on mental health.

In her announcement, Osaka said she planned to "take some time away from the court" but offered to meet with WTA Tour officials in the future to "discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans."

The 23-year-old Japanese sensation has received support from fellow athletes and sponsors since making her decision to step away from the French Open.

Meanwhile, Stephens will continue her pursuit of a second major championship when she takes on Barbora Krejcikova in the round of 16 on Monday.