Meghan Markle comes out as one of the personalities who have helped Naomi Osaka when she pulls out of the French Open to focus on her mental health.
Osaka thanked Markle for reaching out and supporting her decision to work on her mental health. In her Time op-ed, the tennis star showed her gratitude to the family and friends who stayed by her side.
"I also want to thank those in the public eye who have supported, encouraged and offered such kind words," she said - referring to the celebrities who helped her.
Aside from Markle, the former First Lady Michelle Obama also showed her care in Osaka. Michael Phelps, Steph Curry and fellow tennis player Novak Djokovic also reached out to her.
Osaka did not say what the Duchess of Sussex told her, but she seemed appreciative of what she did. She instead revealed what Phelps told her.
"Michael Phelps told me that by speaking up I may have saved a life," she said. "If that's true, then it was all worth it."
Markle has been open about her own mental health struggle. In her interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, she said she thought of suicide while pregnant with Archie in 2019, Hollywood Life noted.
She and her husband, Prince Harry, have been keen supporters of mental health - making it one of their advocacies since they became a couple. Osaka's revelation comes on the heels of the Sussexes' former chief of staff's claim that she had an incredible work experience with them.
Catherine St-Laurent, who also worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation before the Duke and Duchess, told The Cut Markle and Harry could be "very influential." St-Laurent used to work for the Archewell Foundation in early 2000.
She said working for the two was an "incredible experience" - adding they were "incredibly talented and creative leaders." St-Laurent was thankful for the opportunity to work with Harry and Markle on their new journey after they stoop down as working members of the royal family.
St-Laurent also said the time she had spent with them was "incredibly fulfilling."
"I think they have the potential to be very influential leaders in the social-impact space," she said. "I look forward to continuing to be a part of that."
Aside from being Markle and Harry's chief of staff and executive director of their nonprofit organization, St-Laurent became the advisor of Archewell Foundation.
