Sports
Naomi Osaka Withdraws from Auckland Classic Final Due to Abdominal Injury
- Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Auckland Classic final due to an abdominal injury.
- Clara Tauson claimed her third career title after Osaka’s sudden withdrawal.
- The injury comes just a week before the Australian Open, where Osaka was aiming for her first title since 2021.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in her first WTA final in three years, Osaka was playing against Denmark’s Clara Tauson. After winning the opening set 6-4, the four-time Grand Slam champion called for a physio and withdrew shortly after.
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Osaka’s sudden departure came as a surprise, as she had played without visible issue during the 35-minute first set, displaying powerful groundstrokes and breaking Tauson in the third and fifth games.
During the changeover, the 27-year-old underwent stretches and a medical timeout, consulting with the trainer before shaking Tauson’s hand. Tauson went on to claim her third career title, her first since 2021.
Osaka did not provide details about the injury during a brief courtside interview but the WTA confirmed her withdrawal was due to an abdominal injury.
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“I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city. I had a lot of fun playing here and I’m sorry about how it ended,” Osaka said. “I hope you enjoyed the tennis we did play, and I’m just really grateful to be here.”
It was a disappointing conclusion to a week where Osaka had been aiming for her first title since winning the 2021 Australian Open.
Her most recent final appearance was at the 2022 Miami Open before taking a 15-month break and giving birth to her first child in mid-2023. She made her return to tennis last year and is currently ranked 57th in the world.
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