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Naomi Osaka loses in 1st round of French Open

France Tennis French Open
Posted at 10:13 AM, May 23, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-23 10:13:19-04

Former world no. 1 women's tennis player Naomi Osaka lost in the first round of the French Open.

American Amanda Anisimova defeated Osaka, 7-5, 6-4, on the red clay at Roland Garros.

The French Open is where Osaka first revealed mental health struggles. She withdrew from the grand slam tournament last year after refusing to speak with the media.

Osaka then took some time away from the sport and has struggled to regain her top form.

In a major sign of improvement, Osaka made it to the finals in Miami in April. She lost to Iga Swiatek, the current world no. 1.

It's unclear when Osaka will play next. Wimbledon is the next grand slam tournament, but Osaka said she isn't sure whether she will play.

Wimbledon was stripped of ranking points because it decided to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament due to their aggression in Ukraine.

“I’m someone who gets motivated by the idea of rising in the rankings. The intention of this measure was good, but the execution is all over the place," Osaka said.

Wimbledon begins June 27.