Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open just hours before her third-round match against Maddison Inglis.
It marks a huge blow for the tournament, seeing a two-time former champion exit the event despite having impressed in the opening week.
This will not be a tournament to remember for the Japanese superstar, who has been embroiled in controversy ever since her very first match.
Osaka’s first-round outfit turned heads before later being dragged into a post-match argument with Sorana Cirstea.
This withdrawal just adds further insult to injury.
Naomi Osaka withdraws from the Australian Open
Naomi Osaka has now spoken to the press to explain why she was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open, revealing all.
She began by stating: “Yeah, I mean, it’s an injury I’ve had a couple of times before, and I thought I could push through it. 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, so yeah.”
How far do you think Osaka could have got without injury at the Australian Open?
Naturally, the 28-year-old did not have a definitive diagnosis, but shed as much light as she could: “Yeah, I mean, I definitely have to do more tests, and obviously I think coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot. So this is something I have to be really cautious of.
“Yeah, I just have to, I guess, talk with a couple of doctors.”
Finally, Osaka was asked whether she had enjoyed her time in Melbourne, to which she replied: “Yeah, I mean, I think for me obviously it was nice that everyone enjoyed my outfit, but also, I enjoyed playing the tennis here. I played two three-set matches, and I felt really physically healthy. Well, I guess, not my ab, but just fitness-wise it felt really good.
“Yeah, I’m just grateful to be otherwise very healthy, and I hope that I’m able to play some good tennis for the rest of the year.”
Naomi Osaka’s recent Australian Open performances
A run to the third round matched her performance from 2025, but with a clash against the unseeded Inglis in the offing, Osaka must have fancied her chances of reaching the fourth round again.
In fact, she will have been quietly confident of actually making a run for the title, especially considering she has already won the event twice.
Who do you think was in the wrong during this heated Australian Open moment?
2024 marked a crushing return to action after her pregnancy, losing in the first round, and in 2023 she missed the event completely because of that.
Osaka won the title in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021.
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