Naomi Osaka withdraws from Australian Open

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka will sit out the Australian Open, her first Grand Slam tournament of the season, which she won twice.

In the organizers’ statement, it was indicated that the 2019 and 2021 champion, Osaka, decided to withdraw from the tournament that will begin on January 16, and the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska was included in her place.

The 25-year-old former world number 1 tennis player, who has been battling depression for many years, last appeared on court at the Pan Pacific Open held in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in September, and has retired from tournament in the second round

Naomi Osaka, who won a total of 4 Grand Slam titles with her victories in 2018 and 2020 at the US Open, dropped to 42nd in the world rankings.

THIRD MAJOR NAME WITHDRAWAL FROM AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Osaka becomes the third tennis great to withdraw from the Australian Open.

World number one in men’s singles, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, and in women’s singles, 2003 and 2017 Australian Open finalist Venus Williams of the US, had previously announced that they would not be able to participate in the organization due to his injuries. (AA)