Jimmy Connors called out Naomi Osaka on the latest episode of his podcast as the former eight-time Grand Slam champion suggested that the Japanese should have physically prepared better for the start of 2025.
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In the first week of the new season, the 27-year-old won her opening four matches in Auckland to reach the final - in which she had to retire.
Moments after sealing the first set over Clara Tauson, Osaka asked for a trainer - and after getting her abdomen checked - she decided to call it a day.
For the four-time Grand Slam winner, it was a brutal way to finish her promising Auckland run, especially knowing that she was hoping to win her first title as a mom.
Connors on Osaka: Hard for me to understand how you get hurt right at the beginning
"It's the first tournament of the year, come on. It's not like you played six weeks in a row. I mean, it's the first tournament of the year and you're really just breaking in and getting the feel and how your game is and competing and trying to figure out all the work that you've done and everything you've added over the two or three-day off-season," the American tennis legend said on the Advantage Connors podcast.
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"I mean, to get hurt right at the beginning and to pull out, that's hard for me to understand because I've got amnesia with a lot of things that happened in my time with me and stuff."
After making his point clear, Connors also stated that he always made sure to be "ready mentally and physically" at the start of the year.
Meanwhile, Osaka confirmed in her pre-tournament Australian Open presser that the MRI "was not fantastic" but also noted that it wasn't the worst-case scenario.
Most importantly, she should be ready to play against Caroline Garcia in Melbourne.
