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Naomi Osaka may be dealing with a significant injury, with the 2025 Australian Open nearly a week away.
The former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion retired from the final of the WTA Auckland Open, the last tune-up before the Australian Open, with an apparent medical issue on Sunday. She had been leading Denmark’s Clara Tauson 6-4 before her exit left Tauson as the tournament’s champion.
Before her withdrawal, Osaka was receiving attention from athletic trainers for her abdomen, which was apparently the issue. Per veteran tennis journalist and Osaka biographer Ben Rothenberg, she was teary-eyed when calling for a trainer.
The issue is a rough obstacle for Osaka, who was playing in her first final since the 2022 Miami Open. She returned to tennis in 2024 after a year-long hiatus following the birth of her first child, but reached the quarterfinal of only one tournament and didn’t advance past the second round of any Grand Slam.
Her 2024 ended after she retired from the China Open with a back injury while tied in sets with Coco Gauff.
It’s unclear if this issue will affect Gauff’s availability for the Australian Open. The singles draw in Melbourne is scheduled for next Thursday, with the first round to begin three days later on Sunday.