Tour fatigue is a real factor shaping decisions on the WTA right now, and Naomi Osaka just made hers ahead of the US Open. Fresh off a quarterfinal exit in Toronto, the 28-year-old announced she’s withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open, a move that repeats the exact strategy she used at this same tournament last year.

“I’m really sad to have to withdraw from Cincinnati this year due to fatigue,” Osaka said on the WTA website. “I love playing here and am looking forward to coming back and competing in Cincinnati next year.” Osaka had been in action over the last two weeks, playing seven matches across Washington and Cincinnati.

The fatigue that is being described here is easy to trace. Osaka played seven matches across Washington and Toronto over the past two weeks. She opened her hard-court swing at the Citi DC Open with a win by retirement over Ashlyn Krueger, followed by a tough three-set win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the quarterfinals, a match that also saw her throw and kick her racket in frustration after dropping the opening set. Her run there ended in the semifinal against eventual champion Alexandra Eala.

Coming into the Canadian Open, Osaka showed glimpses of her form in wins over the likes of Panna Udvardy, Elise Mertens, and home favorite Leylah Fernandez. However, the Japanese player lost to Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals, despite winning the first set and having a 4-2 lead in the second set against the Kazakh.

This scheduling tactic was used by Osaka last year as well, as she skipped the Cincinnati Open after reaching the final in Canada. The twelve-day format makes it difficult for players to take part in both events, especially if one player has a deep run in Canada, as they do not get enough recovery time for the Cincinnati event.

Osaka has a decent record at Cincinnati, reaching the final in 2020, only to lose against Victoria Azarenka. However, skipping Cincinnati worked for her at the US Open last year, and she hopes the same will happen in New York this year as well.

Naomi Osaka Made a Semifinal Run at the US Open After Skipping Cincinnati Last Year

Skipping Cincinnati proved profitable for Osaka last year, as she was able to rest and reach the semifinals of the US Open. The former World No.1 had an adequate warm-up in Canada, where she won against the likes of Jelena Ostapenko and Elina Svitolina to reach the final, where she could hold on to the momentum against home favorite Victoria Mboko.

That run helped Osaka to get a big win over the likes of Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova in New York, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova in a tough three-set battle in the semifinal. That result helped her break back into the Top 20 again, benefiting from seedings at the bigger events.

Ranking points will be a key factor for Osaka heading into New York, as the Japanese player has already dropped 435 points in Toronto after a quarterfinal exit this year. She has 780 points to defend at the US Open, and an early exit in New York might see her slip down the rankings, where she’s currently on No. 13.

Osaka also has a great track record at the last Major of the year, winning the title twice in 2018 and 2020. Beating Serena Williams in the 2018 final in New York put the Japanese player on everyone’s radar, whether it be fans or pundits.

Osaka has had a solid 2026 season outside of hard courts too, reaching the final at Bad Homburg and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. She’s already confirmed for New York beyond just her singles run, set to play mixed doubles with countryman Kei Nishikori during Fan Week on August 25 and 26, giving her a reason to arrive rested rather than running on fumes from one more tournament she doesn’t need to play.