Naomi Osaka will withdraw from the Australian Open before her third round match
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open before her scheduled third-round match against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis on Saturday, ending a season known for fashion and attrition.
The two-time Australian Open champion announced it on social media without revealing her injury, posting on Instagram that she had to withdraw “to deal with something my body needs attention for after my last match.”
Announcement
“I was so excited to keep going and this run meant more to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart,” Osaka wrote, “but I can’t risk doing any more damage so I can get back on the field.”
Osaka’s grand entrance to the tournament earlier this week went viral, when she walked onto the court for her first-round match wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a headscarf and holding a white parasol — a design she says her apparel sponsor, Nike, allowed her to create.
In the second round, Osaka fended off Sorana Cirstea in a tense 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory at Margaret Court Arena that ended acrimoniously.
The two have just exchanged a handshake over the net, with Cirstea briefly glancing in Osaka’s direction and then turning her head away.
Announcement
As they walked to the referee’s chair, Osaka asked, “What was that for?”
Cirstea responded directly to the four-time Grand Slam champion, who was upset by Osaka’s efforts to charge in phases during the match.
“Apparently she was mad with a lot of ‘come on,'” Osaka said, “but it doesn’t matter. I think this was her last Australian Open, so, OK, I’m sorry she was mad about it.”
Osaka won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. She won two more Grand Slam titles at the US Open, where she beat Serena Williams in the 2018 final and won again in 2020.
He was the 16th seed for this tournament and was scheduled to face No. 168-ranked Inglis in a night match at Rod Laver Arena.
Last year, Osaka was coming off a semifinal at the US Open, her best performance at a major in five years.
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