Former British Royal Meghan Markle reportedly reached out to Naomi Osaka quietly and behind the scenes when the tennis star began saying she wanted a break from the media for her mental health.
Osaka revealed Markle’s counsel in a long explanation of her decision to take a break from tennis that was published this week by Time magazine.
After explaining that she has been “dealing with” mental health issues “behind the scenes,” Osaka added that she was contacted by a number of left-wing celebrities, including the Duchess of Sussex.
“I want to thank everyone who supported me,” the 23-year-old tennis star wrote in her article. “There are too many to name, but I want to start with my family and friends, who have been amazing. There is nothing more important than those relationships. I also want to thank those in the public eye who have supported, encouraged and offered such kind words. Michelle Obama, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Novak Djokovic, Meghan Markle, to name a few.”
Since announcing her tennis hiatus, Osaka has skipped several high-profile tennis events, including the French Open and Wimbledon, the latter of which will end this weekend.
It may not be surprising that Markle reached out to Osaka. The young tennis player had joined the 39-year-old Markle on the debut episode of her “Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Audio” podcast in December.
Mental health issues are also one of the causes that Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, have chosen to support in their post royal life.
Osaka has agreed to return to the courts for the Olympics in Tokyo where she will represent Japan.
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