Naomi Osaka looks to be fit for the Australian Open, having recovered from an abdominal injury that threatened to derail her preparation for the first major of the year. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
๐ปOsaka made it to the final of the ASB Classic as part of her preparation for the Australian Open, but the four-time grand slam champion had to retire through injury, handing victory to Clara Tauson in a walkover.
เผThe 27-year-old immediately went for an MRI scan to see the extent of her injury and, while she did not go into much detail, she suggested she was fit to face Caroline Garcia in the first round.
โโIโm normally a really honest person but I probably wonโt answer your question honestly,โ she said.
๐โThe MRI, it wasnโt fantastic, but it wasnโt bad at the same time.
๐โIโm pretty optimistic about playing my match, I mean for sure Iโm going to play my match, and Iโve been practising pretty well for the two days that Iโve been here.โ
๐ฏOsaka comes into the tournament having won it on two previous occasions in 2019 and 2021, but she faces stiff competition this year with Aryna Sabalenka looking to become only the sixth player in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.
โThe decision to pull out of the Auckland finalย was one that Osaka struggled with, but she says it was the correct choice as she prioritises the Melbourne Park slam.
๊งโIt just sucked because I felt like my body wasnโt keeping up with what my mind wanted it to do, and obviously I was very concerned about my chances playing here, so I felt like the best decision was to pull out, even though I really didnโt want to,โ said Osaka.
๐ฏOsaka has not made it past the third round of the Australian Open since she last won it in 2021, having been absent on maternity leave in 2023 and beaten in the first round in 2024.
๐She suggested the mental toll of pulling out in Auckland was exacerbated by how she had performed while rebuilding her career over the last year.
๐โAt that moment it was an accumulation of losing in first rounds in 2024 and wanting and hoping to get to a final, and then obviously when I did, I couldnโt play anymore,โ she said.
๐โIโm strangely over it now. Like, 30 minutes after that happened, I was over it because I felt like Iโm playing really well, and I can only keep continuing, and hopefully Iโll get to another final.โ
