Naomi Osaka offers injury update after winning her first match since Australia at Indian Wells

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Naomi Osaka defeated Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, 7-5, 6-2, in the second round of Indian Wells.

It was the 28-year-old’s first match in 44 days (Australian Open 2R vs Sorana Cirstea).

Osaka was forced to pull out of the Australian Open ahead of her third-round match due to injury and subsequently missed the two Middle Eastern WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Dubai.

After winning on her return to action at Indian Wells, Osaka provided an injury update.

Naomi Osaka hopes she stays injury-free for the rest of 2026

During her post-match press conference, Osaka shared why she was so disappointed after the Australian Open.

“Yeah, I mean, for me it wasn’t, like, too positive. I was really disappointed, because it’s something that I have done to myself before, and I feel like every year I go through that specific [abdominal] injury,” she said.

“Every year I can kind of, like, feel it starting to happen.

“Yeah, I was just really disappointed in myself, and then ironically, like, we were training, and then I injured myself, like I did another injury.

“So I just felt, like, hopefully that’s enough injuries for the whole year.”

Osaka was delighted to return to action with a win in California.

“But yeah, I’m just grateful to be out here and be playing,” she said.

“Last year I didn’t do too well here, so I think I already exceeded the previous year.

“I just hope that I can keep going.”

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If so, which tournament would it be?

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Osaka lost her first-round match to Camila Osorio, 6-4, 6-4, at Indian Wells last year.

She’ll have a shot at revenge when she takes on the Colombian in the third round on Sunday.

If Osaka plays as well as she did in round two, she’ll be in with a great chance of advancing.

Naomi Osaka vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva – Match stats

The four-time Grand Slam champion was solid from start to finish, especially on serve, making her way through to the third round without much trouble.

She’ll be the favorite to beat Osorio, but who else may she need to defeat en route to the title?

Naomi Osaka’s route to the Indian Wells title

If both players win their third-round matches, Osaka and world number one Aryna Sabalenka will meet in the last 16.

Osaka and Sabalenka have played once before, eight years ago.

Then, Osaka won in three sets at the US Open.

Osaka was the favorite back then, but would likely head into this matchup as the underdog.

If she were to pull off the upset and reach the quarterfinals, she could play Victoria Mboko, Anna Kalinskaya, Emma Raducanu, or Amanda Anisimova.

Anisimova would be the trickiest test on paper.

The American became the first player to defeat Osaka in a Grand Slam semifinal, winning a three-set thriller at the 2025 US Open.

Osaka would be up against it if she did meet Anisimova in the quarters, as she would in potential semifinal matchups with the likes of Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini.

Then, should she reach the final, Osaka could play Poland’s Iga Swiatek.

It seems unlikely that Osaka will win the title, but how well has she performed in California over the years?

Naomi Osaka’s record at WTA 1000 tournaments

Osaka is a former champion at Indian Wells, an event which is statistically her second-best at the WTA 1000 level.

Whether she can win another title in 2026 remains to be seen.