(Melbourne) Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka became the latest star to forfeit the first Grand Slam of the year on Sunday, leaving the tournament without some of tennis’ biggest names.
No reason was given for the 25-year-old Japanese player’s withdrawal, with organizers simply tweeting: “We will miss her at AO2023”.
In his absence, Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska was promoted to the main draw in Melbourne.
Osaka has not played a competitive match since September and news reports last week indicated that, despite being on the official entry list, the Australian Tennis Federation was unable to find out where if she found.
Her social media accounts indicated that she traveled to Europe with her boyfriend, American rapper Cordae.
His absence is another blow for the Major of the Antipodes after the package of the world No.1, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Friday, due to a right leg injury.
The American Venus Williams will not be there either after being injured last week at the WTA tournament in Auckland and having returned the invitation from which she benefited.
The Australian Open organizers were already shaken by the retirements last year of defending champion Ashleigh Barty and legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer.
Former world No.1 and two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep of Romania is also absent after being provisionally suspended in October for taking the banned substance roxadustat.
But Novak Djokovic, nine times winner in Melbourne, is back after being banned last year after an imbroglio over his vaccination situation.
Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal, who won the 2022 title in Djokovic’s absence, will also be present.
Champion in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021, Osaka has not played a competitive match since withdrawing from a tournament in Tokyo in September following abdominal pain and tumbled to the 42e place in the world rankings.
The four-time Grand Slam winner has previously opened up about her mental health struggles and has spent all of 2022 out of the game. top 10, suffering first round defeats at the French Open and the US Open. She withdrew from Wimbledon due to an Achilles heel injury.
Speaking at the Tokyo Tennis Tournament in September, the player admitted to going through “more lows than highs” in 2022.
“This year hasn’t been the best for me, but I’ve learned a lot about myself,” she said.