Naomi Osaka, fan favourite in Japan Open, has been forced to retire from the tournament despite reaching quarter-finals due to leg injury. Osaka took the decision shortly before the quarter-finals took place, celebrated today, and as a result her opponent Jaqueline Cristian moved to the semi-finals automatically.
“We regret to announce that Naomi Osaka has not recovered from a left leg injury sustained during the second round of this tournament and has withdrawn from the quarter-finals scheduled for today”, announced the tournament.
Osaka was the top seeded player from the WTA 250 tournament, and the only Japanese player remaining. Leylah Fernández, Sorana Cirstea, Jaqueline Cristian, and Tereza Valentova will play semi-finals on Saturday.
Osaka returned to the top 15 this year
Osaka, currently ranked 16th in the world by WTA, turned 28 years old on Thursday. Winner of four Grand Slams, the latest one in 2021, she was last ranked World No. 1 in 2019. She took 2023 off because of her pregnancy and also ended her 2024 season early in October due to back injury.
After four years without an WTA title, she won her first title since 2021 Australian Open at a lower ranked WTA 125 in Saint-Malo, France. In 2025, she lost the Canadian Open final to Victoria Mboko.
Osaka is scheduled to play the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in November, it is unclear if she’ll make it. Other players from the women’s circuit have also withdrawn, including Paula Badosa from Spain, Emma Raducano from England, or Elina Svitolina from Ukraine, amid complains on the long and demanding calendar.
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