Naomi Osaka has suffered an injury scare ahead of the Australian Open later this month after retiring from the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland with an abdominal issue.
Osaka won the first set 6-4 against Clara Tauson but was then unable to continue and sat in tears as she waited for the trainer to arrive, although cut a more cheerful figure at the presentation.
“I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city and I had a lot of fun playing here,” said Osaka, without going into detail about her problem.
“I’m really sorry about how it ended but I hope you enjoyed the tennis that we did play. I’m just grateful to be here.”
The first Grand Slam of the year begins in Melbourne on Sunday January 12 with the draw set to take place this coming Thursday.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the reigning women’s Australian Open champion and geared up for her title defence by coming from a set down to defeat Polina Kudermetova in the final of the Brisbane International, winning 4-6 6-3 6-2.
Osaka was looking to win her first title since the 2021 Australian Open and had reached her first final since 2022 after returning to tennis last year following the birth of her daughter Shai.
The four-time Grand Slam champion – Osaka has won twice in Melbourne and twice at the US Open – led Tauson 5-1 in the opening set with a double break and eventually closed that out despite being broken back once.
