Former world number one Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Japan Open due to a back injury that also led to her retirement from the China Open last week, tournament organizers announced on Monday. The 26-year-old retired during the second set of her match in Beijing against eventual champion Coco Gauff because of ongoing lower back issues.
In a statement, the Japan Tennis Association confirmed, “Due to injury, Naomi Osaka has decided to withdraw from the tournament.” Osaka is slated to compete in the Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament 2024, which is scheduled for October 21-27 in Tokyo.
Her last appearance in a WTA tournament in Japan was in 2022 at the Pan Pacific Open, where she withdrew before her second-round match due to abdominal pain. The Japan Open is set to begin on October 14.