Naomi Osaka shared a concerning update on social media, admitting the injury she picked up at the 2024 China Open in Beijing is more severe than first expected.
The four-time Grand Slam champion played well in her opening three matches at the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, overcoming Lucia Bronzetti, Yulia Putintseva, and Katie Volynets to reach the round of 16 in the Chinese capital.
Osaka's match with Putintseva was memorable because the Japanese star smiled in amusement before a return because of Putintseva's antics during the contest. The Kazakhstani is known for her fiery temperament on the court.
Those victories set up a blockbuster round of 16 clash against Coco Gauff. Osaka played an outstanding opening set, winning it 6-3, and an upset at that stage looked very possible.
However, during the second set, the 26-year-old began to look visibly uncomfortable on the court. After Gauff took it 6-4, Osaka decided to retire to avoid making her issue any worse.
The two-time Australian Open winner updated her fans afterward, saying her back was the problem. But she seemed confident that after resting it, she would be fit and ready for the rest of the season.
Osaka's retirement from her contest against Gauff may have been partially influenced by her signing up for two tournaments on home soil: this week's Japan Championships and the Japan Open, which takes place the following week.
Unfortunately for the fans who bought tickets for the ongoing Japan Championships, the former world No. 1 was forced to withdraw from the WTA 250 tournament due to her back injury.
Osaka gave her first update about the injury since her comments after the China Open match against Gauff. During an 'ask-me-anything' session on Instagram, she said the injury was more severe than first thought.
"It was worse than what I thought (I just have a high pain tolerance (lol) and I'm trying my best to potentially play Tokyo but I'm still waiting to see what the doctor says."
Next week's Japan Open in Tokyo is the final WTA 500 tournament of the season. That could make Osaka even more desperate to return from her injury in time for the event in front of home fans who would give her great support.
Osaka is also on the entry list for the Hong Kong Open. At this late stage, it might have been tempting for her to skip the rest of the season and focus on preparing for 2025, but she does not seem to want to do that.
Playing in Tokyo would give her the chance to end a mixed comeback to the sport in 2024 on a high. Osaka returned from maternity leave at the start of the year but has rarely found her best tennis throughout the season.
She produced an amazing performance at the French Open, almost defeating the four-time champion at Roland-Garros Iga Swiatek, but ultimately lost despite holding a match point.
Next year could be much better for Osaka, though. Some struggles during her return were inevitable, and she may have shaken off that rust for when 2025 arrives.