Naomi Osaka’s statement on depression and anxiety shines spotlight on mental-health challenges in the workplace

When Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open this week, citing mental-health struggles, she brought a spotlight to a workplace challenge that organizations across the company are struggling with: An employee mental-health crisis, and how to deal with it.

Osaka, at 23 the world’s highest-paid female athlete, generated headlines across the world in a story that has lingered for days. “The best thing for the tournament, the players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris,” she wrote in a social media post. “The truth is I have suffered long bouts of depression since the U.S. Open in 2018 and have had a really hard time coping with that.”