Osaka must find 'safe space' to overcome issues, says Evert

LONDON - Japan's world number two Naomi Osaka must take the time to be in a "safe space" and seek help to figure out the dilemma she finds herself in, according to American tennis great Chris Evert.

Osaka withdrew from the French Open before the second round in the wake of controversy caused by her decision to skip mandatory post-match news conferences at the tournament. She revealed that she had been suffering bouts of anxiety and depression since bursting into the limelight by winning the U.S. Open in 2018, the first of her four Grand Slams.