Osaka says Djokovic, Michelle Obama, others reached out

NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Osaka says former First Lady Michelle Obama and sports stars Novak Djokovic, Michael Phelps and Stephen Curry were among those who reached out to offer support after she withdrew from the French Open to take a mental health break. In an essay that appears in Time magazine’s Olympic preview issue, Osaka writes that she hopes measures can be enacted to “protect athletes, especially the fragile ones.” Osaka suggests athletes should be allowed to sometimes skip media obligations without punishment. She is expected to return to competition at the Tokyo Olympics later this month.