Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open on Saturday in Melbourne, Australia, due to an abdominal injury that she said required immediate attention ahead of her scheduled third-round match against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis.
Tournament organizers announced Osaka’s withdrawal hours before the two-time Australian Open champion was set to play Inglis on center court at Melbourne Park.
Osaka, who entered the tournament as the 16th seed, confirmed her decision in a statement posted on Instagram on Saturday.
Osaka said she made what she described as a difficult decision to pull out of the tournament in order to address a physical issue that arose after her previous match.
Osaka stated that she felt excited to continue her campaign in Melbourne and said the current run at the Australian Open held particular significance for her.
Officials adjusted the order of play on center court after confirming that Osaka would not compete in the third round.
The withdrawal ended Osaka’s bid for a third Australian Open title after she previously won the tournament in 2019 and 2021.
Inglis advanced to the next round by walkover as a result of Osaka’s withdrawal from the match.
The Australian Open did not immediately release further details about the nature or extent of Osaka’s abdominal injury.
Osaka participated in post-match media duties earlier in the tournament, where she discussed her form and her experiences during this year’s Australian Open.
Fans who held tickets for the scheduled Osaka–Inglis match received an updated schedule featuring replacement matches on center court.
Osaka’s team did not issue an additional statement beyond her public social media post at the time of the announcement.