Naomi Osaka fans react following her withdrawal from French Open

International fans of tennis star Naomi Osaka were surprised but sympathetic on Tuesday about her recent decision to withdraw from the French Open.

One of the biggest names in sport, Osaka stunned the tennis world when she pulled out of the Grand Slam on Monday after being fined and threatened with expulsion for declining to face the media after her first-round match on Sunday.

The four-time Grand Slam champion had signaled intentions to skip media duties to protect her mental health on social media, and returned to Twitter Monday to announce her withdrawal.

"I think she's under a lot of pressure, more than we can imagine. She got to the top when she was young so I think we can't really imagine what she's going through," said Tokyo resident Tomomi Noguchi.

French Journalist Barbara Klein said “it should start a reflection on the pressure on these athletes in general. They are under pressure, they probably add more pressure on their own shoulders given their own goals.”

While her original stance had earned her little backing from her fellow professionals, most saying that dealing with the media was part of the job, her withdrawal triggered a wave of support from around the world.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca
Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews