Organisers of the Australian Open, the opening Grand Slam of the year that starts on January 16, revealed on Sunday that two-time winner Naomi Osaka has withdrawn. They gave no further details.
Naomi Osaka, a former world number one from Japan, had her name on the Australian Open entry list, but she was not scheduled to compete in the warm-up events in Adelaide and Hobart, casting doubt on her ability to compete in the hardcourt major.
“The Australian Open has received a withdrawal from Naomi Osaka. She’ll be missed at #AO2023,” Tweets from the Australian Open. Yastremska, Dayana, enters the main draw.
Osaka, the Melbourne Park champion in 2019 and 2021, last competed on the WTA Tour in September when she withdrew from her match against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo due to illness.
Her departure comes a day after American Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to injury, dealing the tournament’s organisers a double blow.
After skipping the 2021 French Open, Osaka, whose ranking has dropped to 42, took a sabbatical to prioritise her mental health. She later revealed that she was suffering from depression.
Williams will miss the Australian Open because of an injury.
Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, withdrew from this month’s Australian Open owing to an injury, the organisers announced on Saturday.
Williams received a wildcard to the tournament, which takes place from January 16 to 29. She was scheduled to compete in her 22nd Australian Open.
The 42-year-old American, who has reached the final at Melbourne Park twice and is currently not among the top 1,000 players, was hurt while practising at the Auckland Classic.
“The Australian Open tweeted that Venus Williams had withdrawn owing to an injury she acquired during the ASB Classic in New Zealand.”
After losing to unseeded Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round of the US Open, Williams did not play again until Auckland, where she defeated fellow countrywoman Katie Volynets before falling to China’s Zhu Lin.
Kimberly Birrell of Australia received her wildcard spot.
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