Mayes Yousef
Naomi Osaka, the former world No. 1, has pulled out of the Japan Open due to a back injury that also caused her to retire from the China Open last week, tournament organizers confirmed on Monday. The 26-year-old Japanese star struggled with a lower back issue during her second-round match against Coco Gauff in Beijing, eventually being forced to retire from the match.
The Japan Tennis Association announced, "Due to injury, Naomi Osaka has made the decision to withdraw from the tournament." The Japan Open is set to begin on October 14, but Osaka will not participate, with her next appearance expected at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo from October 21-27.
Osaka's last appearance at a WTA event in Japan was in 2022, when she withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open before her second-round match due to an abdominal injury.