Naomi Osaka’s preparations for the Australian Open were rocked when she was forced to retire from the WTA Auckland Open.
It was Osaka’s first final of any kind since April 2022, with the former world No.1 having been one set ahead before pulling out through injury.
Osaka broke opponent Clara Tauson to take the opening set 6-4, but it proved the only set of the afternoon as Osaka was soon receiving on-court medical attention from the physio for an apparent muscle strain.
After a short consultation, it was announced the match was called off, meaning Tauson was confirmed as the event’s champion in the process.
Osaka remained coy on the injury when quizzed about it during the post-match debrief, stating: “I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city and I had a lot of fun playing here and I’m really sorry about how it ended.
“I hope you did enjoy the tennis that we did play and I’m just really grateful to be here.”
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