An abdominal injury is forcing Naomi Osaka to withdraw from the Australian Open.
Hours before her third-round match versus Maddison Inglis, Osaka made the announcement and took to social media to address any concerns.
“I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” Osaka wrote on her Instagram Stories. “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.
“Thanks for all the love and support. I’m so grateful everyone embraced me so much.”
Osaka says she sustained the injury during her heated second-round match versus Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea. The two had a viral dustup after Osaka was seen hyping herself up between points. After the match concluded, which Osaka won in three sets, the two exchanged words at the net, which left the former world No. 1 tennis player rolling her eyes.
When asked about the conversation, Osaka told reporters, “Apparently, a lot of ‘come-ons’ that she was angry about. Whatever. She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open. Sorry, she was mad.”
She would later apologize for the quip.
Osaka’s return to the Australian Open was marked by both of her early round victories and a head-turning fashion statement she made before her first round match.
In an outfit crafted by Robert Wun and Nike, Osaka stepped onto the court with a jellyfish-inspired outfit inspired by the books Osaka would read to her two-year-old daughter, Shai.
“There was an image of a jellyfish, and when I showed it to her she got so excited,” she told Vogue,. “It translated beautifully into the movement and fluidity of the sheer layers on the dress and the jacket. When I saw it during the fitting, I remember thinking, ‘this is beautiful,’ but also feeling like the story wasn’t fully finished yet.”
