Tennis: Naomi Osaka unsure on Wimbledon due to ranking points decision following French Open exit

Japan's Naomi Osaka serves against Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. during their first round match at the French Open. Photo / AP

Naomi Osaka says she is "leaning more towards not playing" at Wimbledon again because the WTA and ATP have said they will not award ranking points this year after the All England Club banned players from Russia and Belarus because of the invasion of Ukraine.

The four-time Grand Slam champion and former top-ranked player sat out Wimbledon in 2021 as part of a mental health break following her withdrawal at the French Open.

After losing in the first round at Roland Garros today, Osaka said the tennis tours' move to withhold ranking points from Wimbledon "is kind of affecting my mentality" and she is "not 100% sure if I'm going to go there."

She said she is "the type of player that gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up," but added that she needs to think about the issue more before making a final decision and could change her mind.

The former top-ranked player lost her opening match to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 at Roland Garros on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion who took two mental health breaks last season. That included one that began when she withdrew before her second-round match at the French Open.

Anisimova is a 20-year-old American who reached the French Open semifinals in 2019. She also beat Osaka in the third round at the Australian Open in January.

Osaka double-faulted twice on break point, once in each set. After the second, which gave Anisimova a 4-3 lead, Osaka took a 40-0 lead in the next game but the American held.

Osaka played with tape on her left Achilles. She was stretching it and kicking it with her right foot when she was broken in the seventh game of the second set.

- AP