Naomi Osaka opts to compete in Western & Southern Open semi-final
- World No 1 had withdrawn to protest racial injustice
- Organisers postpone all matches until Friday
Naomi Osaka has decided to compete in her re-arranged semi-final at the Western & Southern Open on Friday. On Wednesday, Osaka had informed the WTA of her decision to withdraw from her last four match gainst Elise Mertens, which was scheduled to be played Thursday, before she publicly announced her withdrawal in line with the ongoing strikes in major sporting leagues protesting racial injustice following the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The tournament later responded to Osaka’s announcement by “pausing tournament play” on Thursday and it rescheduled its men’s and women’s semi-finals for Friday. The WTA, ATP and other tournaments later spoke to Osaka and her team about the possibility of her returning to compete on Friday.