Naomi Osaka surprised many when she decided to withdraw from the French Open in July despite then being the second-ranked women’s tennis player in the world, saying she wanted to focus on her mental health and not cause a distraction from the other athletes in the tournament. Another world-famous athlete, Simone Biles, who has been dubbed by some the G.O.A.T of gymnastics, pulled out of a few events during the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health and safety.
These two athletes are among the many who have come forward to talk about their mental health, including student-athletes at universities across the U.