Naomi Osaka secures her spot in Tokyo Olympics
Tokyo, June 14 (EFE).- Tennis world no. 2 Naomi Osaka of Japan Monday secured her spot for the Olympics after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings were released for the qualification for the Tokyo Games.
It is the first Olympic berth for the Japanese tennis star.
The eligibility of athletes is decided based on WTA rankings for women and ATP rankings for men.
The singles event, both men and women, will have draws of 64 with 56 direct entries.
There will be 32 doubles teams in both the men’s and women’s events and 16 mixed doubles teams.
The maximum number of national team players is limited to six per country — four for singles and two for doubles.
Kei Nishikori, currently ranked world No. 49 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and Yoshihito Nishioka, ranked 56th, have also secured spots in the upcoming Olympics.
In May, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open amid controversy over her decision not to give post-match press conferences due to mental health concerns.
She was fined $15,000 and threatened with a suspension for refusing to speak with the media following her first-round victory.
In 2019, Osaka relinquished her US citizenship to represent Japan in the Olympic Games.
In recent months, she has expressed reservations about whether the event should be held in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Of course I want the Olympics to happen, but I think there is so much important stuff going on, especially the past year,” she said in May. EFE
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