Naomi Osaka has officially withdrawn from the Australian Open. Join the growing list of superstars missing from the Grand Slam in Melbourne Park. The Grand Slam champion raised concerns about her immediate future in tennis after it emerged on Thursday that organizers did not even know where Osaka was located.
The Japanese star was not scheduled to play in any of the previous events in Australia or New Zealand, which has led to question marks over her status at the Australian Open. On Sunday afternoon, organizers announced Osaka’s withdrawal.
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Ukrainian player Dayana Yastremska entered the main draw in Osaka’s absence. Osaka, the two-time Australian Open champion, has not played in four months, with her last match coming at the Pan Pacific Open in Japan in September.
Osaka posted a photo with her boyfriend, rapper Corday, in Paris last week, which led to speculation that she was vacationing in Europe and not rehearsing. However, it has since emerged that the trip took place last October, and it is only now that Osaka has released the photos.
Osaka, who won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, appears to be back in Los Angeles after she was tagged in a photo from a pilates studio in suburban Los Angeles. But she showed no signs of being ready for the Grand Slam at Melbourne Park.
Fans took to social media to express their dismay at Osaka’s apparent unpreparedness, with a number of them apparently blaming her boyfriend for not playing tennis.
Concerns are now growing that the 25-year-old may not return to tennis at all. she Take a mental health break from sports After sitting out the 2021 French Open, she later revealed that she had been suffering from depression and anxiety for several years.
She has also had a number of injuries over the past two years and has subsequently slipped in the rankings. The Japanese superstar has not played since withdrawing from the second round in Tokyo last September due to abdominal pain.
She has only won one completed match since last May, losing in the first round of her three previous events, Including the US Open. Besides her Australian Open titles, she has also won the US Open twice. Her last win came when Daria Savell retired with an ACL injury After only one match in Tokyo.
Naomi Osaka adds to the list of missing stars from the Aus Open
Osaka’s absence from the Australian Open is another major blow to the organizers, after a number of high-profile withdrawals in recent days. Men’s World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is out with a hamstring injuryMeanwhile, American champion Venus Williams withdrew due to injury.
Ash Party, who won the title in 2022, She has since retired, while Serena Williams and Roger Federer also called for retirement last year. But 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is back in action after missing the 2022 Open due to a vaccination condition. Djokovic had his visa revoked and he was deported from the country ahead of the Australian Open this past January.
Rafa Nadal also returned to defend his title, which he won in the absence of Djokovic last year. Djokovic will be fiercely determined to win back the title – putting him level with Nadal on 22 career grand slams.
The draw for the Australian Open will take place next Thursday, where Nadal is the new first seed in the men’s team. World number one Poland Iga Swiatek is the number one women’s seed.
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with AAP
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