Naomi Osaka
Ditches Australian Open Over Injury, After heated exchange
Published
Naomi Osaka is hanging up her racket on the 2026 Australian Open … revealing she must exit the competition due to an injury.
The tennis champ shared the news on her Instagram Story Saturday just hours before she was set to face off against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis. She said she must “address something [her] body needs attention for” following her last match … but did not reveal what exactly happened.
She continued … “I was so excited to keep going and this one meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart, but I can’t risk doing any further damage, so I can get back on the court.” She thanked her fans and team for their unwavering support before signing off.
In comments reportedly published by the tournament, Osaka said it was a left abdominal issue. Osaka suffered an abdominal injury during her Thursday match against Sorana Cîrstea.
Osaka made headlines after she and Cîrstea were seen in a heated exchange as they went to shake hands after their Thursday match, which Osaka won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Cîrstea made it clear she was PO’d by Osaka saying “Come on” between serves as they were in the midst of their match … but the official said she didn’t do anything wrong.
Australian Open
When asked about the icy encounter, Osaka confirmed her opponent was mad about her comments and apologized, adding … “She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so sorry she was mad about it.”
