Browsing: Naomi

Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Japan Open before Friday’s quarter-final because of a leg injury sustained in the second round.

The former world number one held back tears and needed painkillers to come through a three-set last-16 win over defending champion Suzan Lamens on Wednesday.

Top seed Osaka, who completed the match with strapping on her left thigh, was due to face Jaqueline Cristian in the last eight but the Romanian will instead progress to the semi-finals.

The Japan Open made the announcement on X, saying: “We regret to announce that Naomi Osaka has not recovered from a left leg injury sustained during the second round of this tournament and has withdrawn from the quarter-finals scheduled for today.”

It is not yet known whether Osaka will play in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo later this month.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is the latest high-profile player to suffer late-season injury issues.

In September, Iga Swiatek complained the season is “too long and too intense” following a string of injuries among players at the China Open.

British number one Emma Raducanu called time on her season on Thursday after retiring from her two previous matches with illness.

Australia’s Daria Kasatkina, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Spain’s Paula Badosa also ended their seasons early in recent weeks.

Across two tournaments in China last week, five players retired injured.

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Oct 17, 2025, 12:39 AM ET

OSAKA, Japan — Naomi Osaka pulled out of her quarterfinal match at the Japan Open on Friday because of a left leg injury.

Her withdrawal ahead of the match resulted in Jaqueline Cristian advancing to the semifinals on a walkover, the WTA Tour said.

Tournament organizers said top-seeded Osaka hadn’t recovered from the injury suffered late in her second-round match. It will be Cristian’s third semifinal appearance of the year and her first on a surface other than clay.

Before the injury, Osaka had wins over Wakana Sonobe and 2024 champion Suzan Lamens.

After splitting the first two sets with Lamens, Osaka took a 5-0 lead in the third. But during a rally with Lamens, Osaka pulled up with an apparent issue with her left leg. She won the point after Lamens sent a backhand wide but requested a medical timeout after the next point.

Osaka, a four-time major winner, returned to the court with her left thigh wrapped and limitations in her movement but was able to close out on her third match point.

Osaka lost in the second round of the China Open in late September and also lost in the second round at the Wuhan Open last week.

In another quarterfinal Friday at the Japan Open, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez beat Rebecca Šramková 7-6 (2), 6-3.

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Jessica Pegula was twice broken while serving for the match in the third set but recovered to edge Hailey Baptiste in a tight tiebreaker Wednesday and advance at the Wuhan Open.

Sixth-seeded Pegula beat her fellow American 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) on her seventh match point to reach the third round.

Pegula, who lost in the China Open semifinals last week, will next play ninth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat American Ann Li 7-6 (5), 6-2.

No. 3 Coco Gauff, coming off a semifinal loss to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova at the China Open, breezed into the next round with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Moyuka Uchijima in 51 minutes.

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No. 11 Naomi Osaka was upset by unseeded Linda Noskova 7-6 (2), 6-3. The 20-year-old Czech player was defeated by Anisimova in the final of the China Open on Sunday.

Noskova, ranked 17th, will next face either Jaqueline Cristian or Elena Rybakina.

No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova rallied to beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and qualifier KateÅina Siniaková beat Maya Joint 6-3, 6-1.

In the third round, Samsonova will face US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

The top-ranked Sabalenka has had an amazing run in Wuhan. Her record is 18-0 while winning titles in 2018, 2019 and 2024. She took a Greek holiday after her second consecutive win at Flushing Meadows and withdrew from last week’s China Open, another WTA 1000-level event.

“I knew after that little break … it will be not that easy to get back in my rhythm. I’m really glad that in the second set I found my game and stepped in, and I think I played really great,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super happy to be back. I’ve won a lot of tournaments in China. It feels like home in this stadium, and I really hope I can go all the way.”

Sabalenka broke her 68th-ranked opponent in the opening game of the final set and converted her second match point to win in almost two hours.

After Sramkova broke Sabalenka twice to take the opening set, Sabalenka started her rally with a break in the fourth game of the second set and jumped to a 4-1 lead. She saved four break points in the seventh game.

Karolina Muchova became the latest player to succumb to the heat and humidity, withdrawing from her match while trailing Magdalena Frech 7-6 (1), 4-1.

The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.

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WUHAN, China — Naomi Osaka dropped the first set before rallying to beat Leylah Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday to advance to the second round of the WTA’s 1,000-level Wuhan Open.

Osaka was back in the central Chinese city for the first time since 2017 and, in the day’s first match on center court, facing the player who produced a major upset to beat her at the 2021 US Open.

Fernandez converted one of her two first-set breakpoint chances and served consistently. But Osaka stepped up pressure on the service returns in the second set, which featured five service breaks, and finished over the top of the 2021 US Open finalist.

Emma Raducanu, who beat Fernandez to win the US Open title four years ago, was trailing Ann Li 6-1, 4-1 when she retired from their first-round match due to dizziness.

In other early matches, Sofia Kenin edged Anastasia Zakharova 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 to set up a second-round meeting against No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova, who beat Emiliana Arango 6-1, 7-5.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek was scheduled to make her Wuhan tournament debut in a second-round match against Marie Bouzkova in the night session.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Coco Gauff were due to open Wednesday. No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, the runner-up at both the US Open and Wimbledon this year, withdrew from the Wuhan Open citing a left calf muscle injury after winning the China Open title.

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Naomi Osaka showcased custom Labubu dolls during her US Open semi-final run in New York. (AP) Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, has completed her viral US Open Labubu collection by revealing the sixth and final member on social media this weekend. The tennis star’s collection of custom zoomorphic monster dolls gained significant attention during her run to the US Open semifinals this summer, where she showcased bedazzled keychain versions inspired by tennis legends.The former world No. 1 commissioned New York City-based artist Kerin Rose Gold of A-Morir Studio to create the sparkly Labubu dolls. Each doll was revealed after her victories at the US Open, featuring designs inspired by tennis icons like Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and Andre Agassi.WATCH: Naomi Osaka shows off her sixth and final US Open LabubuAfter her three-set loss to Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals, Osaka expressed disappointment about missing the opportunity to reveal a special Labubu she had planned.”I wanted to make one of myself in last year’s outfit, and it was the green one. I would have had the bow, and I’m sick about it,” Osaka revealed through laughter. “Oh, my God, that’s, like, the worst thing. Honestly, I’m fine losing, but don’t ask me about this Labubu, man. Yeah, it would have been me.”
The unrealised design has now become reality. Osaka unveiled the green doll on Instagram, featuring the “Lolita goth”-inspired look and bow as originally planned. The reveal video was accompanied by a British voice-over discussing a “24-karat Labubu,” incorporating current trends surrounding these collectible dolls.Osaka’s Labubu collection generated substantial buzz during the US Open, matching the attention received for her impressive return to form on the court. Her tournament run marked her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance in four years.The tennis star is scheduled to continue her season at the Wuhan Open, where she will face former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the first round on Tuesday. Spectators may spot the newest addition to her Labubu collection, “Naomi Glowsaka,” among her tennis equipment.

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