(Reuters) -Naomi Osaka became the latest player to suffer injury towards the end of a gruelling season after the four-times Grand Slam champion pulled out of her Japan Open quarter-final against Jaqueline Cristian on Friday with a leg injury.
Several players have ended their seasons early amid health and fitness struggles in the ongoing Asian swing of tournaments, including Emma Raducanu, Daria Kasatkina, Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa.
The men’s and women’s circuits, which run across 11 months with extended formats at several tournaments, have come under a harsh spotlight during recent events in Asia with the heat and humidity contributing to a spate of injuries and withdrawals.
The Japanese 28-year-old, the top seed at the WTA 250 event in Osaka, sustained the injury against defending champion Suzan Lamens on Wednesday, having to get her thigh strapped as she battled to a 7-6(6) 3-6 6-2 victory.
“Naomi Osaka has not recovered from a left leg injury sustained during the second round of this tournament and has withdrawn from the quarter-finals scheduled for today,” organisers said on social media.
The world number 16 has enjoyed an encouraging season after returning to the tour in 2024 following a maternity break but the injury casts doubts over her participation in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo later this month.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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