Adam WellsJanuary 17, 2025
Shi Tang/Getty Images
Naomi Osaka’s run at the 2025 Australian Open came to an end in the third round due to an injury.
The two-time Aussie Open champ suffered a strained abdominal muscle that caused her to retire after her first set against Belinda Bencic on Friday.
#AusOpen @AustralianOpen
A sad ending to a great contest.<br><br>Naomi Osaka is forced to retire against Bencic.<br><br>We wish you a speedy recovery, and we can’t wait to see you back on the court soon, Naomi 💙<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AusOpen</a> • <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/AO2025?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#AO2025</a> <a href=”https://t.co/HeWQA07Jg2″>pic.twitter.com/HeWQA07Jg2</a>
Updated Australian Open Bracket (Women’s Third and Fourth Rounds)
- Third round: Coco Gauff def. Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 6-2
- Third round: Belinda Bencic def. Naomi Osaka, 7-6 (7) (Retired)
- Third round: Paula Badosa def. Marta Kostyuk, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
- Third round: Olga Danilović def. Jessica Pegula, 7-6 (3), 6-1
- Fourth round: Coco Gauff vs. Belinda Bencic (Saturday, Time TBD)
- Fourth round: Paula Badosa vs. Olga Danilović (Saturday, Time TBD)
Full women’s singles bracket available via AusOpen.com.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Osaka explained abdominal injuries have been a frequent problem throughout her career and this one has been lingering since October during a tournament in Beijing.
“I kind of have a history of it, since I was a teenager,” she said. “At least once a year, I’d get an ab strain. For me, I want to say it’s more the way my serve is—it’s quite explosive. Unfortunately, it carried on over to the beginning of this season.”
There were indications leading up to the Australian Open that Osaka might be less than 100 percent. She had to withdraw from the final of a WTA event in Auckland earlier this month with an apparent abdominal injury.
Osaka, who was unseeded in the tournament, won her first two matches in three sets. She upset No. 20 KarolÃna Muchová in the second round to set up her showdown with Bencic.
Despite the abrupt exit because of an injury, Osaka had her best showing at the Australian Open since 2022. The 27-year-old didn’t play in 2023 after announcing she was pregnant with her first child days before the tournament began. She lost to Caroline Garcia in the first round last year.
Osaka won the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. The 2019 victory elevated her to No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in her career. She also has two U.S. Open titles on her resume in 2018 and 2020.
