USA Today via Reuters
Mar 31, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN) is overcome with emotion after her match against Belinda Bencic (SUI)(not pictured) in a women’s singles semifinal in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 31, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN) is overcome with emotion after her match against Belinda Bencic (SUI)(not pictured) in a women’s singles semifinal in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Things aren’t going according to plan for Naomi Osaka. She was making a comeback in the hard-court season after missing the entire grass-court swing owing to an Achilles injury. However, in her first tournament on her comeback, she lost in the second round against Coco Gauff at the Silicon Valley Classic.
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The four-time Grand Slam champion is currently in Toronto to participate in the National Bank Open. However, her campaign ended abruptly after she retired during her first-round match against Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi. After the match, the Japanese star opened up about her injury.
Naomi Osaka tried her best to continue
During the post-match interview after her first-round defeat in Toronto, Osaka revealed the details of her injury. She said, “I felt my back from the start of the match, and despite trying my best to push through it I just wasn’t able to today. I’d like to pay credit to Kaia for playing well and want to wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
Naomi Osaka after retiring with back injury: “I felt my back from the start of the match, and despite trying my best to push through it I just wasn’t able to today. I’d like to pay credit to Kaia for playing well and want to wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 9, 2022
Osaka was a set and 3-0 down at the time of her retirement. The first set was a topsy-turvy affair with both players applying pressure on their opponent’s serves. Eventually, the set proceeded into the tiebreaker where Kanepi won some crucial points to take the opening set 7-6(4).
Getty
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 03: Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts to a lost point during a tie break against Leylah Fernandez of Canada during her Women’s Singles third round match on Day Five of the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 03, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Further, Kanepi carried the momentum into the second set, breaking Osaka’s serve early. Eventually, when her opponent took a 3-0 lead in the second set, Osaka decided to retire to prevent the aggravation of her injury.
Osaka’s US Open participation in limbo
The former World Number 1 has faced another untimely injury setback just weeks ahead of the US Open. The last Grand Slam tournament of the season begins on August 29. Osaka had already missed the Wimbledon Championships this year owing to an Achilles injury. She will remain a doubtful starter for the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati and the US Open.
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Meanwhile, Kanepi will take on Garbine Muguruza in the second round. The Estonian is in good form, having reached the Citi Open final last week.
Written by
Edited by
Tony Thomas