Australian Open: Naomi Osaka Retires Due to Injury Against Belinda Bencic…

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka was forced to retire from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic due to a strained abdominal muscle after conceding the first set on Friday.

Osaka revealed, “I kind of have a history of it, since I was a teenager. 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.” She explained that the injury initially occurred during a tournament in Beijing, where she retired mid-match against Coco Gauff on October 1. “Unfortunately, it carried on over to the beginning of this season,” she added.

This marked Osaka’s first appearance in the third round of a major tournament since 2022. After taking breaks from the tour for mental health reasons, she also stepped away while pregnant, welcoming her daughter, Shai, in July 2023.

Beginning 2025 on a strong note, Osaka reached the final in Auckland, New Zealand, on January 5; however, she succumbed to the abdominal injury that forced her to withdraw from the title match there. Her condition reportedly worsened following her second-round victory over 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova in Melbourne.

Osaka expressed, “It was, I guess, a little inevitable, but I think the competitor in me just wanted to see it through to the end. I just hope that I can figure it out and get healthy in time,” as she eyes the upcoming events at Indian Wells and Miami in March.

During the match, a trainer was called to assess Osaka while she led 6-5 in the opening set. After receiving treatment and medication, the match continued, but Osaka could not maintain her momentum. Following a tiebreaker lost 7-6 (3) — during which she committed four critical unforced errors — the chair umpire called an end to the contest after just 57 minutes due to her injury.

The players shared a hug at the sideline as Osaka departed the court. A former No. 1-ranked player, she has clinched a total of four Grand Slam titles, including the in 2019 and 2021 and the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020.

Bencic, who secured a singles gold medal for Switzerland in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, expressed concern for Osaka, stating, “Hopefully she’ll be fine soon and be able to play the rest of the season.” Drawing a heart on a camera lens, she penned, “Get well soon Mama.”

The Swiss star is set to meet either 2023 U.S. Open champion or 2021 U.S. Open runner-up in the fourth round, with that match scheduled for later Friday. Bencic remarked, “I’ll watch a bit, if I can, but I think I’ll do my cooldown and try to focus on my recovery.” After giving birth last October, Bencic aims for a better showing than her previous history at Melbourne Park, where she has never advanced past the fourth round in 11 attempts, including a defeat to at that stage last year.