The four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka officially ended her 2024 tennis season due to injury, announcing her withdrawal from next month’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Naomi revealed on Sunday in Tokyo, that she had ruptured abdominal muscles, marking the latest in a series of setbacks.
“I thought I strained my back, but an MRI in Beijing showed I had a bulging disc in my back and ruptured abdominal muscles,” the 27-year-old told Japan’s Kyodo News.
Osaka has been sidelined since retiring from her China Open match earlier this month against eventual champion Coco Gauff in the round of 16.
Since then, she has withdrawn from the Japan Open and the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
On Monday, organisers of the Hong Kong Tennis Open confirmed that Osaka would not compete in the tournament starting on October 28, effectively ending her 2024 season.
“Naomi Osaka has been forced to withdraw from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2024 due to injury, marking an unfortunate end to her season,” a statement from the tournament organisers said on social media.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals, scheduled for November 13-20 in Malaga, Spain, would have been Osaka’s last event of the year.
Reflecting on her decision, Osaka said, “I’ve played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision not to play this, and obviously not play BJK.
I really enjoyed it so much, and I think it helped with my development as a player.”
Osaka had helped Japan qualify for the finals in April by defeating Kazakhstan, marking her first appearance in the competition since 2020.
Her China Open participation earlier this month also marked her debut under new coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the former long-time coach of Serena Williams.
Despite her efforts this season, Osaka has struggled for consistency since returning to the sport in January following the birth of her daughter, Shai, in July 2023.
Her best performances this year have included two quarter-final appearances.
AFP
