“I have been through depression and anxiety actually this year” – Ana Bogdan empathises with Naomi Osaka

Ana Bogdan, the Romanian tennis player who benefitted from the withdrawal of Naomi Osaka earlier this week at Roland-Garros, has revealed that she also suffered from anxiety and depression earlier in the year, Bogdan made the statement in her press conference following her third-round loss in Paris on Friday.

Bogdan, ranked No 102 in the world, was due to play the four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the second round in Paris but the Japanese pulled out of the event after revealing her mental health concerns in a statement.

Osaka’s withdrawal came after she was fined a $15,000 fine for skipping the mandatory press conference after her first-round win in Paris.

Speaking to the press on Friday after going down 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 to Paula Badosa in the third round in one of the best women’s matches of this year’s event, Bogdan revealed her mixed emotions upon hearing about Osaka’s withdrawal.

“First of all, it was a big surprise for me, because I was very focused and really getting ready for the match. I got the news that she’s not gonna play, so it was a little bit difficult to have so many days off. I tried to do my work and to stay really focused until the day of the next match. So that’s what I did.”

With Osaka’s withdrawal, Bogdan received a walkover into the third round in Paris. This was only the second time that Bogdan is through to the third round of a Grand Slam event, the other one being the Australian Open in 2018.

“Well, in one side, of course I was happy, let’s say happy, because I knew I’m going to be third round. But on the other hand, I was not happy when I saw what’s going on with her and what she wrote out there, because I have been through depression and anxiety actually this year, beginning of the year.”

Reports: Osaka pulls out of Berlin grass court event

Meanwhile, according to some reports, Osaka has pulled out of the WTA grass-court event in Berlin scheduled to start on June 14. It is not known whether this has any impact on her plans for the rest of the grass-court season, including Wimbledon.

Simon Cambers, one of the noted journalists on the Tennis Majors team, recently stated that he felt Osaka may be back only in time for the Olympics and the hardcourt season.

“She’s got a lot going on, with the Olympics, where she will be the face of the Games. The Olympics are enormous for her, so that’s got to be her focus if she’s ready. I think it would do her some good to take some time off. I would say we’re probably looking at hard courts.”

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