Naomi Osaka Was ‘Terrified’ To Release Netflix Series After Withdrawing From Wimbledon

Naomi Osaka shared a cover photo of her new Netflix documentary series and an honest message that admitted she wonders how the ‘look into’ her life will be received, on social media.

Naomi Osaka, 23, geared up for the release of her Netflix documentary series, Naomi Osaka: Playing By Her Own Rules, on July 16 by promoting the cover photo and posting an open message. The tennis star revealed she was “terrified” to let the public see the new highly-anticipated film, because of the inside look it gives of her life, and said she hopes people will understand her decision-making process. In the cover photo, she can be seen laying on her back while wearing a tennis outfit, sneakers, and a cap, and closing her eyes.

“So this has been in the process for the past  2 1/2 years,” the reigning U.S. Open tennis champ‘s message began.

“In light of everything that happened recently I was terrified of this being released,” she added, most likely referring to her decision to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon to focus on her mental health. “This isn’t like a tennis match where I win or lose and from there people can say whether I did well or not. This is a look into my life from certain time period and I can’t fight the feeling of wondering how it will be received. This is in some ways my soul and a reflection of who I am.”

Naomi went on to explain that she hopes “there are pieces that people can relate to and maybe other pieces that would help people understand why I make the choices I make.”