Naomi Osaka opens up about mental health, urges "measures to protect athletes, especially the fragile ones"

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka opened up about her mental health struggles and her decision to drop out of the French Open in an essay published Thursday in TIME magazine, saying "it's O.K. to not be O.K." 

Osaka skipped Wimbledon and withdrew from the French Open after she was fined $15,000 and threatened with suspension for her refusal to appear at a tournament press conference. She elaborated on her decision to protect her mental health in her essay for TIME, which featured her on an Olympic-themed cover.  "I communicated that I wanted to skip press conferences at Roland Garros to exercise self-care and preservation of my mental health," she said, noting the privilege of her profession. "I stand by that. Athletes are humans."