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Naomi Osaka won against Suzan Lamens in Japan to progress through to the quarterfinal at the latest WTA 250 event.
The four-time Grand Slam winner managed to come through in three sets, but Osaka had to cut short her interview afterwards.
In round one, Osaka praised her wildcard opponent Sonobe Wakana but managed to come through that one for the loss of just four games.
Now, with the dust settling on her victory, she’s given her press conference and offered some more information on her troublesome leg problem.
Photo by PAUL MILLER/AFP via Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka confirms if she’ll play her next match in Japan
Osaka must have been in some serious discomfort to cut short her television interview, which took place on the court.
With that in mind, there was only one place to start when Osaka met with the press after the game, and the injury she sustained was discussed by the world number 14.
She said in her press conference: “I took Advils, so I think it feels better than what it is right now, but obviously it doesn’t feel good.
“I couldn’t really move that well. It’s not good, but I think I’m a fast healer, so it should be OK for my next match.”
Osaka is the number one seed in Japan and will be the heavy favourite to come through the draw and win the tournament this week.
Romanian player Jaqueline Cristian is next in her sights, and now the hope will be that she can fully recover from this injury to give maximum effort in the quarterfinal.
Osaka can enjoy quality 2026 by building momentum right now
Having won four Grand Slam titles in her career, there is a sense that Osaka is building back to her best right now.
This time last year, Osaka was down in 46th in the world rankings, but this year has seen her rediscover some small samples of her best form.
A run to the semifinal of the US Open was pleasing for the 27-year-old, but making the last four of competitions won’t do for a player with so much class.
As a result, next year could be the one for Osaka to start winning big titles once again and being 14th in the world should allow her to progress through tournaments with easier draws.
For now, all eyes are on Osaka’s injury, and the challenge if she does play on Friday will be to continue building momentum into the rest of the year and into 2026.
AloJapan.com