It was in the final against Denmark’s Clara Tauson in Auckland – at the pre-tournament to the Australian Open – that Naomi Osaka was forced to break.
According to the WTA, the women’s tour, it is an injury to the stomach, but the 27-year-old herself did not want to comment on what kind of setback it was.
– I just want to thank everyone who welcomed me to this beautiful city. I had a lot of fun, and I’m sorry how it ended. I hope you enjoyed the tennis we played, I’m just grateful to be here, she says after the match.
It was after she had won the first set 6–4 that the Japanese threw in the towel.
The injury can now threaten participation in the grand slam tournament Australian Open, which begins in a week. The now 57-ranked star won that particular competition in 2021.
The former world number one returned to tennis a year ago after becoming a mother in July 2023.
With Osaka breaking, 50-ranked Tauson was awarded the win. The title is her third in her career.