Naomi Osaka Withdraws from Japan Open Due to Injury
The tennis player Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from the Japan Open tournament on Friday due to a left leg injury.
Osaka’s withdrawal before the quarter-final match allowed Jaqueline Cristian to advance directly to the semi-finals, according to the WTA Tour.
The tournament organizers reported that the top seed, Osaka, had not recovered from the injury suffered at the end of her second-round match.
Before the injury, Osaka achieved victories over Wakana Sonobe and the 2024 champion, Suzan Lamens.
After splitting the first two sets with Lamens, Osaka took a 5-0 lead in the third. However, during an exchange with Lamens, Osaka felt discomfort in her left leg. Although she won the point, she requested a medical timeout after the next point.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, returned to the court with her left thigh bandaged and with limitations in her movement, but managed to close out the match on her third match point.
In another quarterfinal match at the Japan Open on Friday, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez defeated Rebecca Šramková 7-6 (2), 6-3.
