Tennis: Osaka withdraws from Australian Open

Sports

Two-time Australian Open tennis champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the tournament beginning Jan. 16, organizers said Sunday on Twitter.

The former world No. 1 last played on the WTA Tour in September 2022 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she pulled out ahead of her second-round match, citing abdominal pain.

The 25-year-old star has fallen to 42nd in the world rankings.

At last year’s Grand Slam events, Osaka made a third-round exit in Melbourne before losing in the first round at the French Open and U.S. Open. She missed Wimbledon due to an Achilles tendon injury.

Kyodo News

Kyodo News Tennis