 "Naomi Osaka last won a Grand Slam at Australian Open in 2021. Image: Reuters")
Naomi Osaka’s pursuit to win a third Australian Open singles title ended in a heartbreak on Friday as she was forced to retire from her third-round match due to an abdominal injury. Osaka’s withdrawal allowed Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic to qualify for the fourth-round which is her previous best at the Australian Open.
The Swiss will now hope to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. Bencic will play either third seed Coco Gauff or Leylah Fernandez in the next round.
Osaka suffers another abdominal injury setback
Bencic claimed the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6(3), before Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who had previously withdrawn from the Auckland final earlier this month due to an abdominal injury, retired from the match.
Osaka had built a 5-2 lead in the opening set but began to show signs of discomfort with her abdomen, prompting her to call for a physio during a changeover. Despite receiving treatment, the 27-year-old tried to push through but ultimately retired from the contest.
“I really feel for Naomi, I saw her struggling a little bit at the end of the set and obviously it’s not the way you would like this match to end,” Bencic said.
“I thought it was a good match so hopefully she’ll be fine soon and she can play well for the rest of the season.”
Osaka’s most recent Grand Slam singles title came at the Australian Open in 2021. Since then, her career has experienced a stop-start phase due to a ‘mental break,’ injuries, and the birth of her daughter.