Naomi Osaka drops out of Japan Open due to back ailment.
“Due to injury, Naomi Osaka will not participate” in the WTA 250 tournament in Osaka from October 14-20, according to a statement from the Japan Tennis Association.
The 26-year-old former world number one appeared in fine form when she won three titles at the China Open in Beijing last week.
However, in her last-16 match against eventual champion Coco Gauff, Osaka quit at the conclusion of the second set due to a back ailment.
“So I locked my back up during practice earlier and honestly wasn’t sure if I could even play but I just wanted to try,” she said on Twitter.
“Unfortunately things just got progressively worse during the match.”
Osaka’s most recent WTA event debut in her home country came two years ago at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
She won a first-round match after her opponent, Daria Saville, retired after one game.
Osaka then withdrew due to stomach problems before her second-round match.
It was her final event before leaving to give birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023.
Osaka returned to the tour in January of this year, but she has failed to regain the form that saw her win two Australian and two US Opens between 2018 and 2021.
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