NEW YORK — Fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka reached the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday and withdrew a few hours later in a call for racial justice. She drew quick support from other players. Soon after, the tournament was put on hold for a day.
“As a sport, tennis is collectively taking a stance against racial inequality and social injustice that once again has been thrust to the forefront in the United States. The (U.S. Tennis Association), ATP Tour and WTA have decided to recognize this moment in time by pausing tournament play at the Western & Southern Open on Thursday, Aug. 27,” the three organizations said in a statement.
Osaka, the last Top 10 seed in the women’s bracket of the U.S. Open warmup, joined athletes in the NBA, WNBA, Major League Soccer and major-league baseball Wednesday in demanding change after Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot several times, apparently in the back, by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday.
Osaka wrote on Twitter that as a Black woman, she felt compelled to pull out of the tournament to put a focus on police shooting Black people.
“I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport, I consider that a step in the right direction,” she wrote. “Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.
“I’m exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days, and I’m extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again. When will it ever be enough?”
Osaka, 22, was born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother. She has lived and trained in the United States since she was 3. She is a former No. 1-ranked player who won her first two Grand Slam singles titles back-to-back, at the 2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Australian Open.
Sloane Stephens retweeted Osaka’s message and added: “Say it louder! Proud of you” and in a separate tweet added, #Proud of all the sports teams and athletes taking a stand tonight #BLM”
After reaching the semifinals late Wednesday, Milos Raonic said the ATP and WTA should consider a joint action that goes beyond a small group of players.
“I think real disruption, that’s what makes change, and I think a lot of real disruption is caused by affecting people in a monetary way and can force some kind of change,” he said. “I’m hoping at least we on the men’s tour as well as the women’s, we band together and we show support.”
Osaka beat No. 12 Anett Kontaveit 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, reaching the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open as the only Top 10 player left in the bracket. She was scheduled to play No. 14 Elise Mertens next.
Unseeded Victoria Azarenka will play eighth-seeded Johanna Konta in the other semifinal. Konta beat unseeded Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-3, and Azarenka advanced in straight sets against unseeded Ons Jabeur 7-6 (11-9), 6-2.
On the men’s side, top-ranked Novak Djokovic had no problems with his creaky neck during a 6-3, 6-1 win over unseeded Jan-Lennard Struff. In the semifinals, he’ll face eighth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat defending champion and third-seeded Daniil Medvedev 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
In his match Monday against Ricardas Berankis, Djokovic had his sore neck massaged twice by a trainer during a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 victory that included seven double faults. The neck has gotten better, and so has his overall game.
“Right now it’s not a concern,” Djokovic said. “It’s still not 100 percent, but it’s close to that. I’ve been gaining more range in my movement of the neck every single day, so no complaints.”
Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the semifinals when Reilly Opelka withdrew during the first set of their match after getting treatment for an injured right knee. He’ll face Raonic, who beat Filip Krajinovic 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5.
The U.S. Open begins Monday in New York.
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