Naomi Osaka has opened up about the reason for her shock withdrawal from the 2026 Australian Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion was due to play her third-round match against Maddison Inglis on January 24, but pulled out just hours before.
Naomi Osaka’s health is her priority
Breaking her silence on why she has withdrawn from this year’s Australian Open, Naomi told TNT Sports that her health is her priority right now.
“I first noticed an issue in my last match,” she explained, referring to an injury sustained during her second-round match against Sorana Cirstea. During that game, she took a medical timeout.
“So that’s why I had to take medical,” Naomi went on. “Then I thought it would get better. Like, if I had a break day, but it kind of got worse after I warmed up.”
“It was a really sad decision for me,” the tennis professional said of her withdrawal from the competition, which she has won twice before. “I really wanted to play, and I had every intention to go play, so honestly, I am still kind of processing it as it’s happening.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Naomi revealed how her tennis play has changed since becoming a mother. The 28-year-old co-parents daughter Shai, who is two, with her ex-boyfriend, rapper Cordae.
“Coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot,” she said. “This is something I have to be really cautious of.”
Earlier in the week, Naomi publicly apologised for comments she made after her match with Sorana. “I think the first couple of things that I said on the court were disrespectful,” she said in a news conference, per BBC Sport. “I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”
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