Some big names in the tennis realm are missing the season’s first Grand Slam tournament. The Japanese tennis player, Naomi Osaka, who was in doubt for a long time, has officially pulled out of the Australian Open. The news emerged after the officials in Melbourne confirmed Osaka’s withdrawal in their official announcement.

However, this is not the first time that the former world no.1 has disappointed her fans by pulling out of a tournament. The WTA star hasn’t played a competitive tennis match since her participation in the previous season’s Japan Open. In light of this, the recent news of her withdrawal drew a barrage of criticism from her fans, as many slammed her for skipping yet another event.

Fans react to Naomi Osaka as she withdrew from the Australian Open

Despite being on the entry list for the Australian Open, the former world No. 1 tennis player was always in doubt. Notably, Naomi Osaka missed out on a number of warm-up tournaments in the lead-up to the season’s first Grand Slam event. This further sparked a lot of controversies and rumors that the Japanese tennis star will also miss out on the Australian Open.

READ MORE – Naomi Osaka Triggers Tennis Community With Her ‘Fun Af’ Message as They Urge Her to Remember the Sport

Unsurprisingly, Osaka’s participation in the Australian Open was dogged by controversy until the tournament’s officials announced that she had withdrawn. The officials stated, “Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023 💙”

The announcement further revealed the name of the Ukrainian tennis player, Dayana Yastremska, who will take her spot for the event. As a result of the widespread reaction to the news of Osaka’s withdrawal, it immediately spread over social media. The 4-time singles Grand Slam champion, who has now missed two of the last three Grand Slam tournaments, infuriated the fans with yet another withdrawal.

Notably, one of the fans slammed her by saying, “It’s like this lady is not serious anymore.”

Another fan commented, “Osaka does everything except play tennis ffs”

Meanwhile, some of the fans also showed their support for the former Australian Open champion. The fan said, “She doesn’t even play tennis anymore 💔 (as usual hope she’s okay)”

Others reacted in a similar way,

Apart from Osaka, the WTA legend, Venus Williams will also not be there in Melbourne after picking up an injury at the ASB classic. Not just the WTA players, but the Spanish tennis star, Carlos Alcaraz, is another big name who will be missing the event due to an injury.

WATCH THIS STORY – Hilarious Meaning of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams on Urban Dictionary! 

Considering the growing injury list, who do you think will emerge victorious at the season’s first Grand Slam event? Let us know in the comments section.