Naomi Osaka withdraws from Pan Pacific tournament. Here's why

Japanese tennis fans at the Pan Pacific Open were disappointed on Thursday when Naomi Osaka's title defense ended. Naomi suffered from pain in her abdomen, forcing the former world number one to give a walk-over to her opponent and quit the tournament. She was scheduled to play against Beatriz Haddad Maia in a second-round match in Pan Pacific tournament.

Pan Pacific tournament is always unique for me, but today my body is not allowing me to step onto the court, said a depressed Naomi while thanking her fans and promising to return next year.

Injury halts Plan


Naomi had pinned hopes on the Pan Pacific tournament to lift her sagging career graph. The Japanese tournament is one of her favorites, and she won the last edition (of the Pan Pacific) held in 2019 in Naomi’s hometown, Osaka. But, unfortunately, the four-time grand slam winner came (to Pan Pacific) with three previous first-round losses.

A Bad year for Naomi

Naomi admitted on Monday that the year had not been good for her; she had more downs than ups, but she has learned to take everything sportingly. Pan Pacific is the latest setback for the 24-year-old after an Achilles' injury forced her to sit out the entire grass court season, including withdrawing from the prestigious Wimbledon.

During the year, Naomi could not break into the top ten (of Women's world ranking), and her poor run resulted in first-round defeats in both the French and the US opens. She even dropped to rank 48 once.

Meanwhile, bad luck seems to engulf this year's, Pan Pacific. Besides the withdrawal of Naomi, several big names got knocked out of the tournament early in the latest blow to the organizers. The top seed Paula Badosa and the Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina lost their first-round matches.

FAQ

1. Has Naomi Osaka won any grand slam titles?
   Naomi has four grand slams- US open- in 2018 and 2020, Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.
2. What is her current rank (Naomi)?
   The September 2022 ranking of Naomi Osaka is 48 (world women ranks)