Japan’s Naomi Osaka withdraws from her match against Denmark’s Clara Thorson in the final singles match of the ASB Classic Tennis Tournament at Manuka Doctor Arena in Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday, January 5, 2025. I’m deeply moved. (Alan Lee/Photosport via AP)
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka’s fitness for the Australian Open has been called into question after sustaining an apparent abdominal injury in the final of the WTA tournament in Auckland on Sunday. are.
Osaka won the first set of the final against Denmark’s Clara Thorson 6-4 and spoke with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, as well as the referee and tour trainer, before deciding to withdraw.
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The nature of her injury was not immediately clear, but it appeared to be an abdominal injury rather than the back injury she sustained at the China Open in October, which ended her 2024 season.
Read: Naomi Osaka advances to Australian Open semi-finals for first time since 2022
Osaka cried as she sat waiting for her trainer. She then left the courtroom to silent applause as an audience member, before returning to the awards ceremony.
“I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city,” Osaka said. “I had so much fun playing here, so I’m really disappointed in the way it ended, but I hope you enjoyed the tennis that we played. I’m really grateful to be here.”
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Osaka broke serve twice and led 5-1, but her serve started to lose power and the match started to look tight. She managed to take the first set, but announced that she could not continue.
Osaka returned to tennis in early 2024 after a long break following the birth of her daughter Shai.
The Auckland final was her first match since returning to tennis and, had she won, it would have been her first title since the 2021 Australian Open.
Read: Naomi Osaka returns from injury to win first match of new season
Osaka’s injury comes after a good week in Oakland. As the tournament unfolded and she grew stronger, the four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 spoke about how having a baby and missing the tour changed her outlook and solidified her mindset.
“There are times when I have really difficult moments and I get down on myself,” Osaka said earlier this week. “But a while ago I found out I was pregnant and I really wanted the chance to play again.
“Now I’m finally here and I’m fighting a really good fight, so I want to keep it going.”
Osaka was ranked 57th in the entry rankings and was the seventh seed for the Auckland tournament, defeating Israel’s Lina Glushko, Austria’s Julia Glover, and Americans Hayley Baptiste and Alicia Parks in the final by just one set.
“I want to take every fight seriously and if someone beats me, I want it to be the fight of their life,” Osaka said. “I want to build that reputation in the tennis world. I hope I can grow to be able to fight for everything.”
Read: Naomi Osaka says she won’t hang around if she doesn’t get results
“Last year it was really difficult to get into that mindset and you could see it in a lot of matches. Tennis has been there all year round, but it’s more of a mindset thing and here and now. I think I’m ready for the fight.”
Osaka said her break from tennis after giving birth gave her a new perspective.
“I feel like a veteran and a newcomer at the same time,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been away from the game on a regular basis and I’ve been able to accept the fact that I’m playing with new people. They’re new people that come into the game every year and obviously I was away from the game for a year and a few years, so that’s a change.
“I’m very interested in seeing what these young players are like. I feel a huge responsibility, but sometimes I feel like I wasn’t the best role model. I will do my best to learn.”
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“I’m a little sad that some of my great role models like Serena and of course Venus are gone, and I hope I can play as many years as them and build a really good foundation in this sport. .”
