Naomi Osaka’s preparation for the upcoming Australian Open were set back on Sunday after she was forced to reitre from the championship match at the ASB Classic against Clara Tauson due to an abdominal injury.
In what Tennis Channel announcer Chanda Rubin dubbed a “most unusual conclusion” to the WTA 250-level event in Auckland, New Zealand, the former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion was leading Tauson 6-4 when she could no longer continue.
Playing first-strike tennis and dominating in the early stages, Osaka raced out to a 5-1 lead agianst the fifth-seeded Dane, who herself was contesting her first tour-level singles final since 2021. As Tauson found her range, Osaka lost three straight games before steadying to serve out the opening set. But at the set break, a visibly distraught Osaka was visited by the tournament physio, and after consulting with her, and speaking with Tauson, she retired.
It’s the second injury-related retirement for Osaka in as many tournaments. She suffered a back injury at the China Open in October, retiring against Coco Gauff in the round of 16, and that problem put a premature end to her 2024 comeback from maternity leave.
“I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city,” Osaka said post-match, having last played in Auckland in 2017. “I had a lot of fun playing here, and I’m really sorry about how it ended. I hope you enjoyed the tennis that we did play, and I’m just really grateful to be here.”
