Reuters
Tennis-We need Naomi, says Monfils after Osaka’s French Open withdrawal
PARIS (Reuters) -French number one Gael Monfils said tennis needed Naomi Osaka back on court after the Japanese player withdrew from the French Open amid a row over her media duties and revealed she had been struggling with depression. 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. She received support from her home country, sponsors, fellow athletes and fans, with Monfils chipping in after his first-round win at Roland Garros on Tuesday.