The WTA Tour has barely moved past the opening month of the season, but injury concerns are already taking center stage. With the 2026 Qatar Open, the first WTA 1000 of the year, set to begin in Doha on February 9, the withdrawal list continues to grow. Five Top 25 players are now officially out of the Doha event, including four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, among others…

The 2026 Qatar TotalEnergies Open will be played on outdoor hard courts at the International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. It will be the 24th edition of this iconic tournament, but as per the latest updates, other than Osaka (14) and Marta Kostyuk (23), three American tennis stars have also decided to withdraw from this tournament: Jessica Pegula (6), Madison Keys (15), and Iva Jovic (20).

Pegula’s withdrawal comes shortly after a busy and emotionally charged Australian Open campaign. Earlier in Melbourne, she defeated close friend and defending champion Madison Keys in an all-American showdown, ending Keys’ title defense and settling a lighthearted bet involving apple pie topped with cheddar cheese. Pegula needed just 78 minutes to secure a clinical 6-3, 6-4 win and book a quarterfinal clash with Amanda Anisimova.

Although Jessica Pegula managed to beat Anisimova in straight sets, her 2026 AO campaign came to an end at the hands of the eventual champion, Elena Rybakina, in the SF. As for the other American, Iva Jovic surprised everyone with her long run in Melbourne. She reached the QF before eventually facing a defeat against the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, in straight sets. Even her withdrawal from the Qatar Open is a big setback for all the tennis lovers in Doha.

Another major concern is Marta Kostyuk, who has been battling injury issues since the Australian Open. The Ukrainian picked up an ankle injury after a fall during her marathon first-round loss to Elsa Jacquemot, a match that stretched over three and a half hours. She later confirmed on social media that she had suffered a torn ligament, sharing photos of herself in an orthopedic boot and vowing patience during her recovery process.

As for Naomi Osaka, the Japanese superstar was forced to withdraw before her third-round match in Melbourne. Osaka revealed that she was dealing with a physical issue and chose not to risk aggravating it so early in the season, stressing that the decision was made as a precaution with a long year ahead.

Despite showing solid form in wins over Antonia Ruzic and Sorana Cîrstea, she opted to prioritize recovery over pushing through discomfort. Her decision to withdraw from the Qatar Open could be yet another precautionary step.

With Osaka and Kostyuk sidelined, Wang Xinyu and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have been confirmed as their replacements in the Doha main draw. As the WTA Tour heads into its first 1000-level event of 2026, the growing withdrawal list serves as a reminder of how demanding the early-season grind can be – even for the sport’s biggest stars.

But what did Naomi Osaka say after ending her 2026 Australian Open campaign in such an unfortunate manner? Let’s find out.

Naomi Osaka’s heartfelt confession while addressing her Australian Open setback

Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open campaign came to a painful and emotional halt, with the former champion opening up about the injury that forced her out of Melbourne Park. The Japanese star, a two-time winner at the tournament in 2019 and 2021, was scheduled to face local favorite Maddison Inglis before being ruled out.

The setback stemmed from Osaka’s intense second-round battle against Sorana Cîrstea, where she pushed through physical discomfort to secure the win. However, what initially seemed manageable soon proved otherwise, prompting the 28-year-old to make the difficult call.

“It’s an injury I’ve had a couple of times before, and I thought I could push through it,” Osaka admitted. “I played my last match with some pain, and I thought maybe if I gave myself a break before my match today, I would be able to handle it. But I warmed up, and it got a lot worse.”

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The four-time Grand Slam champion also reflected on the challenges her body has faced since returning to the Tour after pregnancy, acknowledging that recovery now requires greater caution.

“I definitely have to do more tests, and obviously, I think coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot,” she said. “So this is something I have to be really cautious of.”

Despite the disappointment in Melbourne, Osaka is already looking ahead. With the Middle East swing underway, she will now be keen to bounce back strongly at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The tournament is set to begin on February 15. Do you think Naomi Osaka can make a strong comeback here?