Naomi Osaka
Concerns mount for Naomi Osaka after withdrawal from Australian Open
- Four-time grand slam champion has been holidaying in Europe
- Osaka hasn’t played since mental health break in September
The two-time champion Naomi Osaka has formally withdrawn from the Australian Open, adding to the growing list of big-name casualties.
Osaka has not played since September and was long odds to make her comeback at Melbourne Park after posting pictures on social media last week of her jaunt through Europe with her US rapper boyfriend, Cordae.
“Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023,” Open officials tweeted on Sunday.
Champion at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021, Osaka took in the Mona Lisa, concerts and only seemingly returned to her Los Angeles base last week and has shown no sign of any Open preparation.
The 25-year-old’s Melbourne no-show will further heighten concerns the four-time grand slam champion may not return to the tennis court at all. Osaka took a mental health break after sitting out the 2021 French Open and later revealed she had been struggling with depression and anxiety for several years.
Down to 47th in the WTA rankings, the Japanese player has not played since withdrawing from the second round in Tokyo last September with abdominal pains and has won only one completed match since last May.
The former world No 1 crashed out in the first round of her previous three events, including the US Open, which she has also won twice. Osaka’s last victory was an abbreviated one, coming after only one game against Daria Saville when the Australian suffered a torn ACL in Tokyo.
Her scratching is another blow to Open organisers already reeling from the retirements last year of the reigning women’s champion, Ash Barty, and the legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer.
The men’s world No 1, Carlos Alcaraz, pulled out on Saturday with a hamstring injury before Serena’s seven-times grand slam-winning sister Venus handed back her wildcard after being hurt while practising in Auckland.
Former Melbourne Park finalist and ex-long-time No 1 Simona Halep is not competing this year either. The Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska has been promoted to the main draw in Osaka’s absence.
Osaka’s withdrawal would ordinarily have been a boost for the Australian No 1, Ajla Tomljanovic, who needs two higher-ranked rivals to drop out before next Thursday’s draw to gain an Open seeding.
But Osaka’s fall from grace has been so spectacular that the former world No 1 is behind Tomljanovic in the standings and battling to remain inside the top 50.
A first-time grand slam seeding would ensure Tomljanovic – a Wimbledon and US Open quarter-finalist – does not encounter a higher-ranked opponent until at least the third round.
The world No 22, Nick Kyrgios, and the 24th-ranked Alex de Minaur are currently the only two Australians slated to be seeded for the season’s first slam.
Tennis: Naomi Osaka vs. Iga Swiatek | 2022 Miami Open Final | WTA Match Highlights
The incoming World No.1 joins Graf (1994 & 1996), Clijsters (2005) & Azarenka (2016) as the only WTA 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝘿𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚 winners in history by winning Miami and Indian Wells in the same year! ☀
Iga Swiatek surclasse Naomi Osaka en finale à Miami
La finale chic et choc entre deux numéro un mondiale, la nouvelle et une ancienne, a fait un peu pschiittt. Iga Swiatek, plus solide, plus constante, plus relâchée et meilleure physiquement, s’est montrée largement supérieure à Naomi Osaka, totalement surclassée dans la deuxième manche, ce samedi à Miami (6-4, 6-0).
Tennis – Finale inattendue de l’US Open: La jeune japonaise Naomi Osaka bat Serena Williams 2 sets à 0
Serena Williams ne mâche pas ses mots et parle de sexisme de la part de l’arbitre de la finale, Carlos Ramos. Battue par la japonaise Naomi Osaka en finale de l’US Open, Serena Williams ne semble pas avoir digéré les décisions arbitrales du match.
Tout a commencé quand l’Américaine a reçu un premier avertissement pour « coaching » en début de deuxième set, à 1-0, 40-15 (en faveur de Naomi Osaka).
« Je ne triche pas pour gagner, je préfère perdre », dit-elle à l’arbitre dans un premier temps, avant d’en reparler avec lui au changement de côté. « Je ne triche pas, je n’ai jamais triché de ma vie, j’ai une fille et je défends ce qui est juste, vous me devez des excuses », lui lance-t-elle.
A 4-3, la cadette des soeurs Williams (36 ans) en reçoit un second pour avoir fracassé sa raquette après avoir perdu son service, ce qui lui vaut cette fois un point de pénalité.
TANIKO Madagascar 