Osaka agrees to play semifinal after withdrawing from Western & Southern Open

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka has agreed to play her semifinal at the Western & Southern Open a day after she decided to withdraw from the tournament to protest racial injustice.

The two-time grand slam winner had pulled out of the warm-up event ahead of the US Open just hours after entering the semifinal scheduled to be played against Elise Mertens of Belgium. On Wednesday, however, Osaka said she won’t play, citing that before she is an athlete, she is a Black woman. She further said she was sick of “watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hands of the police”.

In a later statement, Osaka said that after consulting with the WTA and USTA, she agreed to play the semifinal after organisers offered to postpone the last four matches to Friday.

“As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence. I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent,” Osaka’s statement read.

“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.”

Osaka had earlier taken to social media to bring attention to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Blake was shot seven times on the back by the police in front of his children. The father of three, who was critically injured and taken to a hospital, has been paralysed, with doctors unsure that he would regain mobility in his legs. The incident has brought people out into the streets again weeks after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis which triggered a wave of protests spearheading the Black Lives Matter movement.

Many athletes and sports bodies, including the National Basketball Association and the Major League Baseball, have boycotted games and issued statements registering their protest over the incident.

The 22-year-old said that the continued violence against Black people needed more attention that her playing in the Western & Southern Open semifinal.

“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. 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. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I’m exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days and I’m extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again. When will it ever be enough?” she wrote.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King had also supported Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the match, calling it “brave” and “impactful”.

“A brave & impactful move by @naomiosaka in support of the protest movement moving through the sports world. She was to play in the semis tomorrow. Athletes using platforms for good means so much. Don’t remain silent. #BlackLivesMatter,” King tweeted.

Osaka will be seen in the US Open which will begin in New York on August 31.