Former world number one Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Japan Open due to a back injury that also caused her to retire from the China Open last week, organizers announced on Monday. The 26-year-old had to leave the court during her last-16 match at the China Open in Beijing after experiencing issues with her lower back while facing eventual champion Coco Gauff.
The Japan Tennis Association confirmed in a statement, “Due to injury, Naomi Osaka has decided to withdraw from the tournament.” Osaka is scheduled to participate in the Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament 2024, taking place from October 21 to 27 in Tokyo.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, last competed in a WTA tournament in Japan in 2022 at the Pan Pacific, where she withdrew before her second-round match due to abdominal pain. The Japan Open is set to begin on October 14.