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Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open ahead of her third-round match due to a left abdominal injury, ending her pursuit of her third title at the Grand Slam.
Osaka, who won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, took to social media to announce her decision. She did not immediately provide details on the nature of her injury.
“I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” her statement posted to Instagram said.
“I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart but I can’t risk doing any further damage so I can get back on the court.”
In a statement later provided by the tournament, Osaka said it was a left abdominal injury.
“It’s an injury I’ve had a couple of times before, and I thought I could push through it,” the 28-year-old tennis pro said. “I played my last match with some pain, and I thought maybe if I gave myself a break before my match today, I would be able to handle it. But I warmed up, and it got a lot worse.”
Osaka added that her body “changed quite a lot” after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, in 2023. During that time, she took a 15-month break away from competition before returning in 2024.
NAOMI OSAKA, SORANA CIRSTEA SHARE ICY POST-MATCH MOMENT AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
“I’m just grateful to be otherwise very healthy,” she said. “And I hope that I’m able to play some good tennis for the rest of the year.”
Although cut short, Osaka’s time at the Australian Open was highlighted by her fashion choices and a tense interaction with opponent Sorana Cirstea in the second round.
Cirstea appeared to take issue with Osaka’s attempts to motivate herself between points, prompting the four-time Grand Slam champion to quip about Cirstea after her 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
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“Apparently, a lot of ‘c’mons’ that she was angry about, but whatever,” Osaka said during an on-court interview. “I mean, I tried to play well, I tried my best. She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so, OK, sorry she was mad about it.”
Osaka later apologized, saying she doesn’t “like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
In addition to her two Australian Open titles, Osaka won the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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