Naomi Osaka‘s return to tennis in 2025 has been fraught with challenges following her break after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. Despite her being confident about her comeback last year, she faced early exits and injuries, retiring from the China Open and the Auckland Classic final. And, her struggles have now continued at the Australian Open, where she has had to withdraw during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic due to discomfort.

Looks like Osaka’s abdominal injury resurfaced during her third-round match against Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open on January 17, 2025. After experiencing discomfort and a reduced service motion, she stopped the match after losing the first set in the tiebreaker, after battling through pain. What caused this abrupt hurdle in Osaka’s path?

The blow came during the final of the Auckland Classic on January 5, 2025, where Osaka faced Denmark’s Clara Tauson. After winning the first set 6-4, she withdrew due to an abdominal injury, leaving fans concerned. Tennis journalist Jose Morgado reported about it back then, stating on X, “Very sad scenes in Auckland as Naomi Osaka retires from the final after winning the 1st set vs Clara Tauson. Looks like something at lower back/abdominal Naomi in tears. Hope it’s nothing too serious and just prevention for the AO. But doesn’t look good.”

In a heartfelt post-match interview in Adelaide, Osaka expressed her disappointment, saying, “I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city. I had a lot of fun playing here, and I’m really sorry about how it ended but I hope that you enjoyed the tennis that we did play. I’m just really grateful to be here.”

As she faced Belinda Bencic in the third round of the Australian Open, her injury woes again appeared to linger. The abdominal issue that forced her retirement in Auckland seemed to resurface, raising concerns about her ability to continue playing at the highest level for a long time, especially since it’s only been a few days since the four-time Grand Slam champion admitted she doesn’t see herself playing if she’s “not above a certain ranking.” Her coach later backed up this statement.

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Naomi Osaka faced a challenging 2024 season, ending without a title after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, in 2023. She struggled to regain form, exiting early in tournaments like the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and Qatar Open. Despite climbing into the Top 50, she was eliminated in the second round of all three Grand Slams. Expressing her frustration with her performance, Osaka stated in Auckland, “If I’m not above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself playing for a while.”

On January 15, coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who joined Osaka’s team in November, shared his thoughts on her feelings about stepping away from tennis. He explained that for someone who has been a multiple Grand Slam winner, it’s mentally tough to be far from their peak performance. “I don’t see her playing either to be Top 20. She wants to win; she wants to feel that she’s great at what she’s doing,” the coach said.

Mouratoglou believes that accepting anything less than greatness could hinder Osaka’s chances of winning another Grand Slam. “If you accept to be Top 20, there is no chance you’re going to win a Grand Slam,” he noted. He remains hopeful for Osaka’s return to the top spot, stating, “I’m sure she will be back there (No.1). I see how much she wants it and how hard she works.”

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However, after her exit at the Auckland finals, Osaka left an unsure message on Instagram, writing, “Great week preparation and great tournament @naomiosaka. Unfortunate ending and we cross fingers that it is not too bad. Congratulations to @claratauson for a very good week. #tennis #tennisplayer #naomi.”

Osaka’s journey through injury woes continue. And it’s indeed frustrating. Both for her and her fans. Do you think she’ll overcome it soon?