Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open hours before her third-round match against qualifier Maddison Inglis, citing an abdominal injury linked to body changes after her pregnancy. The two-time champion in Melbourne had been scheduled to play on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday evening.
Osaka, who returned to tennis last year after giving birth to her daughter, said the injury was one she had experienced before. 'I thought I could push through it,' she told reporters. 'I played my last match with some pain and I thought maybe if I gave myself a break before my match today, I would be able to handle it. But I warmed up and it got a lot worse.'
The 28-year-old, currently ranked 16th, acknowledged that her body has changed significantly since becoming a mother. 'I definitely have to do more tests and coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot. This is something I have to be really cautious of.'
Osaka has a history of abdominal problems, having retired during her third-round match at the same tournament last year against Belinda Bencic. She announced her withdrawal via Instagram at 8pm local time, expressing her disappointment: 'I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart but I can’t risk doing any further damage so I can get back on the court.'
The withdrawal propels Inglis into a fourth-round meeting with world No 2 Iga Swiatek, who earlier overcame a scare against Anna Kalinskaya to win 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. Meanwhile, officials rescheduled a men's doubles match featuring Inglis's fiancé, Jason Kubler, to fill the evening slot. Osaka reflected positively on her tournament despite the injury, noting that her fitness felt good aside from the abdominal issue.
