Two-time tennis Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Western & Southern Open semi-finals in protest against racial injustice.
The 22-year-old Japanese joins similar protests by athletes in the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, in Wisconsin.
"Before I am a athlete, I am a black woman," tweets Osaka, whose mother is Japanese and father Haitian.
"And as a black woman, I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis."
Osaka defeated Estonian Anett Kontaveit 4-6 6-2 7-5 to reach the semis in New York, where she was scheduled to face Belgian Elise Mertens, who needed just over an hour to defeat qualifier Jessica Pegula 6-1 6-3 and reach her first Premier 5 semi-final.
By pulling out of the semi-finals, Osaka is giving up the chance to sharpen her game further ahead of the US Open Grand Slam, but she says it's more important for tennis to address the issue of racial injustice.
"I don't expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport, I consider that a step in the right direction," says Osaka.
British No.1 Johanna Konta punched her ticket to the semi-finals with a 6-4 6-3 win over Greece's Maria Sakkari, who entered the match fresh off one of the biggest wins of her career over Serena Williams.
A tight first set ultimately came down to one break of serve, which Konta converted in the third game. Konta broke two more times in the second, including in the final game, where she secured the win, after a Sakkari double fault.
Up next for Konta, who is rounding into form with each match, is a clash with former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka, a 7-6 6-2 winner over Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
The tournament - the final tune-up before the U.S. Open - is being played at Flushing Meadows in New York this year, instead of Cincinnati, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reuters
