Naomi Osaka’s US Open participation comes in big doubt after injury forces her to withdraw from the Canadian Open in Toronto
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Naomi Osaka
4-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will be praying to be fit in time before the 2022 US Open starts in less than 3 weeks’ time. The Japanese international returned to action last week in San Jose where she suffered a 2nd round defeat to Coco Gauff. Hoping for a turnaround this week, things did not go her way once again.
Up against Tour veteran and Estonian great Kaia Kanepi in the first round of the 2022 Canadian Open in Toronto this year, Osaka started suffering from back pain well in the first set. For Kanepi, things remained a little difficult as Osaka continued to play after a brief treatment and forced a tiebreaker in the first set but could not continue further and had to retire mid-way through the second set of the match handing the win to Kanepi who advances into the second round with a 7-6(4), 3-0 win over the former World No. 1.
“I just wasn’t able to today”: Naomi Osaka
Osaka later expressed her disappointment and gave an insight into what actually led to her retirement. “I felt my back from the start of the match, and despite trying my best to push through it I just wasn’t able to today. I’d like to pay credit to Kaia for playing well and want to wish her all the best for the rest of the tournament,” said Naomi.
For Osaka, the injury could be a blessing in disguise given that she suffered injury concerns in the first match itself and now has a week’s time to prepare for the upcoming events. The next event will be another WTA-1000 event in Cincinnati where Osaka will look to be fit and prepared once again to challenge for the title so as to remain fit with some wins under her belt before she reaches New York for the US Open where the Japanese is a 2-time champion and looking for her first major since she won the 2021 Australian Open.
As for Kanepi, having finished runner-up in Washington last week, the 37-year old will now take on the struggling Garbine Muguruza in the second round who returns to action for the first time since her straight-set drubbing in the first round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)