Naomi Osaka to Play Australian Open After ‘Devastating’ Injury Pullout

The Japanese American star reached her first final since 2022 last week in Auckland, only to retire injured after winning the first set against Denmark’s Clara Tauson.

Naomi Osaka declared Friday that she would “for sure” play her first-round match at the Australian Open after suffering an abdominal injury last week.

“In that moment it was devastating,” admitted two-time Australian Open champion Osaka, a former world number one.

“It just sucked because I felt like my body wasn’t keeping up with what my mind wanted it to do.

“Obviously I was very concerned about my chances playing here,” Osaka told reporters at Melbourne Park, where the first Grand Slam of the year begins on Sunday.

Osaka said she had undergone a scan to determine the extent of the injury, with mixed results.

“The MRI, it wasn’t fantastic, but it wasn’t bad at the same time.

“I’m pretty optimistic about playing my match. I mean, for sure I’m going to play my match.

“I’ve been practicing pretty well for the two days that I’ve been here, so it seems to be going well.”

Osaka took a 15-month break to give birth to her first child in 2023 and returned to the circuit 12 months ago.

Now ranked 50th, Osaka won two of her four Grand Slam titles to date at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021.

She has been drawn to face France’s 58th-ranked Caroline Garcia in a repeat of last year’s first-round clash that the French player won.

Osaka admitted it had been tough to come back to tennis postpartum, and she was still feeling her way.

“After giving birth, it was definitely really tough to even run,” the 27-year-old said.

“I do understand why it’s very difficult to even get (back) to a professional level.

“There is no guidebook. But you kind of just go off what your body says.”