Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open, organizers of the first grand slam of the season, which begins on January 16, announced on Sunday without further explanation as a cloud hung over one of the sport’s brightest stars .
The former Japanese world no.
“Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss them at #AO2023,” the Australian Open tweeted. “Dayana Yastremska moves into the peloton.”
Osaka, the 2019 and 2021 Melbourne Park champion, has not played on the WTA Tour since she retired due to illness from her match against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September.
She was eliminated in the first round of three tournaments prior to this event, including the US Open.
Her withdrawal marks a double blow for Australian Open organizers, a day after seven-time American Grand Slam champion Venus Williams was ruled out due to injury.
Osaka during their first round match at the US Open 2022.Portal
Osaka, who has slipped to 42 in the world rankings, had taken a break to prioritize her mental health after skipping the 2021 French Open and later said she was battling depression.
The four-time Major champion is one of the highest-earning female athletes in the world with a growing business portfolio, according to Forbes, but her recent retirement is likely to further fuel speculation as to whether she will continue her playing career.
After the retirements of Serena Williams and Roger Federer last year and the retirement of Carlos Alcaraz, number one in the men’s world, due to injury, the Australian Open was already missing some of its star players.
Simona Halep, the 2018 runner-up, is also missing after being provisionally banned in October for failing a drug test.