Naomi Osaka.Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty
Naomi Osakapulled out of her semifinal matchup at theMelbourne Summer Setdue to an abdominal injury.
On Friday evening, the 24-year-old tennis star announced in a tweet that she would be removing herself from the tournament, which serves as a warm-up to theAustralian Open.
“Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break I took. Thank you for all the love this past week,” Osakawrote. “I’ll try to rest up and I’ll see you soon!”
Osaka was scheduled to go up against Veronika Kudermetova on Saturday before her withdrawal. She had previously beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 7-5 in the quarterfinal on Friday.
“I had a lot of fun playing here in Melbourne. Unfortunately, I have an abdominal injury which I need to rest and prepare for the Australian Open,” she said.
Osaka recentlychatted with PEOPLEabout how she is ready to win another Australian Open title (Osaka previously won the Australian Open in both 2019 and 2021).
Noting that sheused the offseason to preparefor the upcoming tournament, Osaka said she was feeling good about her chances.
“I’ve had a really productive offseason training, so I’m looking forward to seeing where my level is at in Australia,” Osaka said. “I love the people and the culture in Australia, so it’s a really fun time of year.”
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Osaka also explained how lucky she feels that she gets to continue playing tennis even as the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemiccontinues to cause disruptions around the world.
“It’s been such a difficult time for so many people,” Osaka told PEOPLE. “I’m grateful to have been kept busy and able to work. Not everyone has been so fortunate.”
The 2021 Australian Open will begin later this month on Jan. 17.
source: people.com
