Osaka to play in WTA semifinal after initially withdrawing out of protest

Naomi Osaka, who joined a wave of protest against racial injustice and police brutality Wednesday by withdrawing from her semifinal match at the Western & Southern Open, has decided to play on.

"I was - and am - ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent," Osaki told The Guardian's Tumaini Carayol. "However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement.

"I want to thank the WTA and the tournament for their support."

The ATP and WTA said shortly after Osaka announced her withdrawal that they would pause play Thursday and resume action Friday.

Osaka was scheduled to play Elise Mertens on Thursday morning.

The police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this past weekend sparked a chain of protests across the sports world Wednesday. The NBA's Milwaukee Bucks took the lead by refusing to play Game 5 of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The NBA subsequently postponed two other playoff games scheduled for Wednesday, and players opted to sit out in the WNBA, MLB, and MLS.

Osaka then announced she was withdrawing from the tournament in New York, writing that the "continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach."

Milos Raonic, the 30th-ranked player on the men's tour, called on the men's and women's tours to "band together" and "force some kind of change."

Osaka is the only top-10 player remaining in the bracket at the Western & Southern Open.