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 previously 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.
Osaka says she has had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something her body needs attention for after her last match.
As excited as she was to keep going and this run meant the most, having to stop here breaks her heart but she cannot risk doing any further damage so she can get back on the court.
In a statement later provided by the tournament, Osaka said it was a left abdominal.
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.
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 make a quip about Cirstea after her 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
Source: foxnews.com
