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Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal pull out of tournament

naomi-and-rafael.Image source, Getty Images

Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal have announced they will not be competing at Wimbledon this year.

Naomi said that she was "taking some personal time with friends and family" but that she "will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans".

Nadal said he needs to "recuperate after a long clay-court season".

"It's never an easy decision but after listening to my body and discussing it with my team I understand that it is the right decision," he said.

Why have they pulled out?

Image source, Getty Images

Naomi recently spoke out about her struggles with her mental health, and how it affects her.

In a post online, she shared that she has "suffered long bouts of depression" since winning her first Grand Slam title in 2018, and that she feels "huge waves of anxiety" before she speaks to the press after her matches.

For this reason she recently pulled out of the French Open and Berlin WTA, saying that she would not do news conferences at the tournaments, to protect her mental health.

A spokesperson from Wimbledon said: "Naomi Osaka will be greatly missed by all of us at Wimbledon this year, but we completely understand her decision.

"We wish her a happy time with her friends and family and look forward to welcoming her back to Wimbledon next year."

Image source, Getty Images

Rafael Nadal has said he is giving his body time to recover, so he can continue to "compete to the highest level".

Nadal suffered from a back injury earlier this year in the Australian Open, and went out in the quarter finals.

He said that the tight turnaround between the French Open and Wimbledon was a key factor in his decision.

"The fact that there has only been two weeks between Roland Garros and Wimbledon didn't make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding clay-court season," Nadal said.

"The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy."

His decision also means that he will miss the Olympics, which start in Tokyo on 23 July.

What about some of the other tennis greats?

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British number one Johanna Konta has pulled out of next week's WTA tournament in Eastbourne to protect her troublesome right knee.

However, she says she should still be able to compete in Wimbledon, which begins on 28 June.

Tennis legend Roger Federer pulled out of the French Open after three rounds, in order to protect his knee injury, and means he can recover in time to compete at Wimbledon.