Naomi Osaka has officially withdrawn from the Australian Open ahead of her scheduled third round match. This resulted in a walkover for Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis, who now advances to the fourth round at Melbourne Park.
A few hours before their match was scheduled for Saturday evening, two-time AO champion Osaka announced her withdrawal due to a physical problem.
The 28-year-old wrote on her Instagram Story: “I have to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention after my last match.”
Osaka expressed her excitement about her progress, saying this run meant the most. She added: “It breaks my heart to have to stop here, but I can’t risk causing more damage so I can get back on the field quickly.”
The West Australian will face either world number 2 LGA Swiatek or 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round on Monday.
One of only two qualifiers to reach the last 32, Inglis spent a grueling 13 hours and 24 minutes over 14 sets to reach the third round.
After Osaka’s withdrawal, she will no longer have to register a further court hearing on Saturday evening. The big blow to the tournament marks the first career champion she has retired in this way.
