Belinda Bencic wasn't in celebratory mode after Naomi Osaka had to retire their Australian Open third-round match due to injury as the Swiss tennis star offered empathy for a fellow mother with a classy act.
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After evidently struggling with an abdominal injury and being limited in her physical movement, the Japanese called it a day after the former world No. 4 won the first set 7-6 (3).
Osaka, who doesn't hide that she wants to accomplish big things as a mom in the second chapter in her career, looked visibly crushed and heartbroken over an unfortunate end to her run in Melbourne.
And Bencic - who welcomed her first child last year - felt for the 27-year-old and wrote on the camera lens: Get well soon mama (heart)."
Bencic: I saw Osaka struggling and I really feel for her
At this moment I really feel for Naomi. I saw her struggling a bit at the end of the set. Its not the way youd like the match to end. It was a good match. Hopefully shell be fine soon and can play well for the rest of the season," the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist said.
Meanwhile, this injury wasn't anything new as the Japanese contracted it in the first week of the season in Auckland.
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After exiting the Australian Open, Osaka confirmed that she was doing daily treatments and exercises but the injury worsened during her three-set second-round win over Karolina Muchova and she basically knew that playing a full match versus Bencic would be a tough ask.
"Obviously after my last match it got way worse. It was just, I guess, a little inevitable. But I think the competitor in me just wanted to see it through until the end," the former world No. 1 said.
