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- Former Olympian Michael Phelps is supporting tennis star Naomi Osaka.
- Osaka dropped out of the French Open, citing her mental health and anxiety about doing required media interviews.
- Phelps said Osaka's decision could be a "breakthrough" for mental health awareness.
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Olympian Michael Phelps spoke out in support of Tennis champion Naomi Osaka after she withdrew from the French Open, saying it could be a "breakthrough for the mental health world."
"This is something that really could help a lot of people," Phelps said in a CNN interview on Thursday morning. "I was so happy for her to be able to share exactly what she wanted. It said in the message that she loves playing tennis, and she wanted to play tennis. Maybe that makes her feel like her authentic self."
Osaka dropped out of the French Open on Monday after announcing she wouldn't do post-match press conferences due to her anxiety.
The 23-year-old, who had been fined $15,000 for skipping a press conference at the tournament, said in her resignation that she experienced bouts of depression and gets "huge waves of anxiety" before speaking to the media.
-The Recount (@therecount) June 3, 2021