Naomi Osaka Withdraws from Japan Open Due to Injury
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from the Japan Open due to a left leg injury. The news, which shook the tournament, was confirmed on Friday, leaving fans with the disappointment of not being able to see the star in the semifinals.
Osaka’s withdrawal, who was the tournament’s top seed, allowed Jaqueline Cristian to advance directly to the semifinals. This will be the third time this year that Cristian has reached this stage, and the first on a surface other than clay.
According to the tournament organizers, Osaka did not recover from the injury suffered during her second-round match. The tennis player had shown a great performance in the tournament, with victories over Wakana Sonobe and Suzan Lamens.
In the match against Lamens, Osaka was dominating the third set with a 5-0 lead. However, during an exchange, she felt discomfort in her left leg. Despite winning the subsequent point, she requested medical time.
Osaka, who has won four Grand Slam titles, returned to the court with a bandage on her left thigh and with limitations in her mobility, but managed to close out the match on her third match point.
The tennis player had already suffered defeats in the second round of the China Open at the end of September and in the Wuhan Open last week.
In another quarterfinal match of the Japan Open, Leylah Fernandez defeated Rebecca Šramková with a score of 7-6 (2), 6-3.
