A growing number of renowned players has announced their intention to skip the Australian Open, and now Naomi Osaka has joined them. Osaka, the Japanese player who won the Open in 2019 and 2021, will not be competing in Melbourne, according to a tweet from the tournament’s organizers sent on Sunday. Sadly, Naomi Osaka has decided to skip the Australian Open. The message lamented, “We shall miss her at #AO2023. As a result of her withdrawal from the second round of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September, 25-year-old Osaka has not played since then, dropping to the 47th spot in the rankings. When her opponent from Australia, Daria Saville, had to retire from their first-round match with a knee injury, she advanced.
Since May, Osaka has won only one full match and been eliminated in the first round of her last three events, all of which she entered as a two-time defending champion. It was thought she wouldn’t participate in the season’s opening Grand Slam. Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine replaces her as a top competitor. Osaka missed the 2021 French Open to focus on her mental health after revealing she has battled depression and anxiety for years. The question of whether or not she will continue her profession is compounded by her current location in Melbourne. She and her rapper boyfriend Cordae had a vacation to Europe last week, and she uploaded photos from the trip on social media. Several top players have already withdrawn from the Australian Open due to injury, including men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday. The tournament begins on January 16. Simona Halep, a previous champion, is not competing either. After becoming hurt during a practice session in Auckland, Venus Williams also withdrew her wildcard.
Last year’s retirements of Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and defending women’s champion Ashleigh Barty left Open organizers reeling. Even though he missed last year’s tournament after being deported for not having the proper vaccinations, nine-time winner Novak Djokovic is now set to defend his title. Rafael Nadal, the Spanish superstar who won the 2022 championship in Djokovic’s absence, will also compete, replacing Alcaraz as the top seed.
