4-time Grand Slam champion pulls out of her first WTA last in three years after successful the primary set of the Auckland Open.
Naomi Osaka has retired from the ultimate of the Auckland Traditional with an belly harm, a blow to the Japanese star only a week earlier than the beginning of the Australian Open.
Taking part in in her first WTA last for 3 years, towards Denmark’s Clara Tauson, the four-time Grand Slam champion referred to as for the physio after taking the opening set 6-4 and pulled out shortly afterwards on Sunday.
Osaka’s sudden withdrawal from the Australian Open warm-up occasion got here as a shock after enjoying with no obvious downside within the 35-minute opening set, unleashing some highly effective groundstrokes to interrupt her opponent within the third and fifth video games.
On the changeover, the 27-year-old stood and carried out a collection of stretches throughout a medical timeout.
After consulting with the coach, she shook the hand of Tauson, who picked up a 3rd profession title and her first since 2021.
Osaka didn’t reveal particulars of what pressured her withdrawal in a brief courtside interview.
Nonetheless, in a press release, the WTA mentioned she retired “because of an belly harm”.
“I simply wish to thank everybody for welcoming me to such an attractive metropolis and I had plenty of enjoyable enjoying right here and I’m actually sorry about the way it ended,” Osaka mentioned.
“I hope you probably did benefit from the tennis that we did play and I’m simply actually grateful to be right here.”
It was an anti-climactic end to the week for Osaka, who was chasing her first title in 4 years since successful the 2021 Australian Open.
Her most up-to-date last look was on the Miami Open the next yr, earlier than taking a 15-month break and giving start to her first baby halfway by way of 2023.
She returned to tennis 12 months in the past and has climbed to 57th on the planet rankings.
Osaka arrived in Auckland professing her “deep love” of tennis was returning and voiced confidence about the opportunity of a robust marketing campaign on the yr’s first Grand Slam, beginning in Melbourne on January 12.
