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Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open before her third round match due to a left abdominal injury, ending her quest for her third Grand Slam title.
Osaka, who previously won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, took to social media to announce her decision. He did not immediately provide details about the nature of his injury.
Naomi Osaka enters the court for her second round match against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, on January 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
“I had to make the difficult decision to retire to address something that my body needs attention to after my last match,” read his statement posted on Instagram. “I was really excited to move on and this race meant a lot to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart, but I can’t risk causing any more damage so I can get back on the field.”
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In a statement later provided by the tournament, Osaka said it was a left abdomen.
“It’s an injury I’ve had a couple of times before and I thought I could overcome it,” said the 28-year-old tennis professional. “I played my last game with some pain and I thought maybe if I gave myself a rest before today’s game I could handle it. But I warmed up and it got a lot worse.”
Osaka added that her body “changed quite a bit” after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, in 2023. During that time, she took a 15-month break from competition before returning in 2024.
Naomi Osaka walks onto Rod Laver Arena for her first round match against Antonia Ruzic at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, on January 20, 2026. (Joel Carrett/AAP Image via AP)
NAOMI OSAKA AND SORANA CIRSTEA SHARE A FREEZING MOMENT AFTER THE MATCH AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
“I’m grateful to be very healthy,” she said, “and I hope to be able to play some good tennis for the rest of the year.”
Although brief, Osaka’s time at the Australian Open was highlighted by her fashion choices and a tense interaction with her opponent Sorana Cirstea in the second round.
Cirstea appeared to take issue with Osaka’s attempts to motivate herself between points, prompting the four-time Grand Slam champion to make a joke about Cirstea after her 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory.
Naomi Osaka reacts after defeating Sorana Cirstea in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on January 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
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“Apparently there were a lot of ‘come ons’ that I was angry about, but whatever,” Osaka said during an on-court interview. “I mean, I tried to play well, I did my best. She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so, okay, I’m sorry she was mad about that.”
Osaka later apologized and stated that she “doesn’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
In addition to her two Australian Open titles, Osaka won the US Open in 2018 and 2020.
