The two-time Australian Grand Slam champion retired on Sunday, just a week before her start, organizers said.
«Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. She will be missed at AO2023“, said the tournament on Twitter. No reason for the Japanese star’s withdrawal was given. This is another blow for the Major des Antipodes after world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz retired on Friday with a right leg injury. American Venus Williams will also not be in the game after suffering an injury last week at the WTA tournament in Auckland.
Champion in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021, Osaka has not played a competitive match since withdrawing from a tournament in Tokyo in September following abdominal pain and tumbled to 42nd place in the world rankings. The four-time Grand Slam winner has previously opened up about her mental health issues and has spent all of 2022 outside the top 10, suffering first-round defeats at Roland Garros and the US Open. She withdrew from Wimbledon due to an Achilles heel injury.
This year hasn’t been the best for me, but I’ve learned a lot about myself.
Naomi OsakaMore
Speaking at the Pan Pacific Open in September, the 25-year-old admitted to going through “more down than up» in 2022. «This year hasn’t been the best for me, but I’ve learned a lot about myself“, she said. According to reports from Australia last week, Tennis Australia has been unable to find out her whereabouts. Her social media accounts indicated that she traveled to Europe with her boyfriend, American rapper Cordae.
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