Naomi Osaka has shared some very disappointing news as the Japanese tennis star won't be able to participate in her hometown tournament in Osaka after sustaining a back injury last week.
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After losing early at the US Open, the former world No. 1 kicked off her Asian swing in Beijing with a fresh wave of energy after hiring Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou. The result was instant, with the 26-year-old winning three matches in a row for the first time since May.
But then, her very strong and promising run came to an end in a crushing way after a back issue forced her to retire mid-match against Coco Gauff in the round-of-16.
After skipping this week's WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan, the Japanese is also out of the WTA 250 tournament in Osaka, which is slated to take place between October 14-20.
"Due to injury, Naomi Osaka will not participate in the WTA 250 tournament in the city of Osaka from October 14-20," the Japan Tennis Association announced.
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The Japanese enjoyed success in Osaka in the past
In 2019, the four-time Grand Slam champion got a chance to play in her hometown and it was a memorable run since she won all of her four matches in straight sets to lift the title in front of her home fans.
Since then, she hasn't had many chances to play in Asia and Japan due to the pandemic but also because of injuries and some other things.
But in mid-October, she was supposed to play in Osaka and make her first appearance in Beijing since competing at the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo two years ago.
Unfortunately, her physical condition is delaying that return.
"I wasn't sure if it was her hip or back, I just knew that towards the end she could barely jump on her serve, so I knew that it was something that, in the moment, was probably bad but hopefully it's something that's not a long-term thing," Gauff said after Osaka retired their match.
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After Gauff confirmed to reporters that she noticed something just wasn't right with the Japanese, the former world No. 1 issued an update where she shed light on what happened.
"Hi everyone just wanted to say Im extremely thankful and happy to have played in Beijing. That being said I feel like I owe a little backstory about today- So I locked my back up during practice earlier and honestly wasnt sure if I could even play but I just wanted to try, unfortunately things just got progressively worse during the match. Totally worth it though lol," the 26-year-old wrote on Threads.
It was a sad end for Osaka's big hopes
As you probably know, the Japanese hasn't won any titles in nearly four years - since the 2021 Australian Open. When she arrived with coach Mouratoglou in Beijing for the start of the Asian swing, she didn't hide that she was excited and hoping to make some noise. And through the opening couple of matches, it looked like a dream start before it came to an abrupt end.
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"I think for me the Asian swing is full of possibilities. I've always done really well at the end of the year. I always look forward to it. Especially with the two tournaments in Japan, for me it's kind of the time to dig deep and try to get really good results... My goal now, I think to be seeded in Australia. I would really love that. I would love to avoid Caroline Garcia (smiling). Yeah, just being seeded. But not putting too much pressure on myself. I'm just trying to take it day by day," Osaka said.
Meanwhile, coach Mouratoglou decided to issue a public message to the 26-year-old after their first official tournament came to an end. In his message, the French coach had only words of praise for the Japanese.
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"Its been our first tournament together with @naomiosaka and it was so rich in terms of learning. From the practice sessions to the warm ups on match days, to all the preparations and the match briefing and debriefings, I got so much to learn about her. I also got to spend time with the amazing team around her @florian.zitz @simone._.elliott @matizukas. I am really proud of all her efforts, her focus and willingness to learn and progress. Its the best attitude to be in a growth process. Now is time to heal and get ready for new challenges," Mouratoglou wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile, the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis is starting in Tokyo on October 21st. If everything goes right and Osaka manages to recover, that should be her next tournament.
