Naomi Osaka withdraws from Australian Open before third-round match

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open before her scheduled third-round match against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis on Saturday, ending a campaign noted for fashion and friction.

The two-time Australian Open champion announced it on social media without divulging her injury, posting on Instagram that she had to withdraw “to address something my body needs attention for after my last match.”

“I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart,” Osaka posted, “but I can’t risk doing any further damage so I can get back on the court.”

A year ago at Melbourne Park, Osaka retired from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic because of a strained abdominal muscle. Australian Open officials have not commented on Osaka’s withdrawal Saturday.

Osaka’s grand entrance to the tournament earlier this week went viral, when she walked onto the court for her first-round match wearing a wide-brim hat, a veil and holding a white parasol — a design she said her clothing sponsor, Nike, let her create.

In the second round, Osaka fended off Sorana Cirstea in a tense 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win at Margaret Court Arena that ended acrimoniously.

The pair barely exchanged a handshake over the net, with Cirstea glancing in Osaka’s direction briefly and then turning her head away.

As they walked toward the umpire’s chair, Osaka asked, “What was that for?”

Cirstea responded directly to the four-time Grand Slam champion, upset with Osaka’s efforts to pump herself up at stages during the match.

“Apparently a lot of ‘C’mons’ that she was angry about,” Osaka said, “but whatever. I think this was her last Australian Open so, OK, sorry she was mad about it.”

Osaka won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. She won two other Grand Slam titles at the U.S. Open, where she beat Serena Williams in the 2018 final and won again in 2020.

She was seeded 16th for this tournament and was set to play Inglis, ranked No. 168, in a night match on Rod Laver Arena.

Osaka was coming off a semifinal run at the U.S. Open last year, her best run at a major in five years.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis