Naomi Osaka pulls out of Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo due to illness on Thursday.
Naomi Osaka had a chance to clinch her first major on Sunday at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
The No. 1-seeded Osaka pulled out of the tournament due to injury on Thursday, an announcement on Japan’s Nippon News Network said. The tournament organizers did not elaborate on Osaka’s condition.
Osaka, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, ended Japan’s 10-year wait for an women’s professional major title at the WTA Finals last month by upsetting Serena Williams in the semifinals.
Osaka’s decision to pull out of the tournament came just days after she announced she will miss the rest of the current season following a flare-up of her left knee.
Osaka had been scheduled to play the next day against China’s Peng Shuai and Naomi Osaka’s Japanese partner Amnio from Japan.
Osaka had also been scheduled to play a quarterfinal against German tennis hopeful Andrea Petkovic.
While Osaka was on court, she said the final day of the season started with rain and rain again by Wednesday and rain returned again before her third round match against Petra Kvitova.
Osaka, 20, said in her statement to the media that the current schedule does not allow enough practice time.
“I am trying my best and I will do my best in my next match,” Osaka said.
Her sister, Mugi Osaka, tweeted in Japanese that her “sorrow will never end,” thanking family, fans and many others who have been supportive of her as she continues to recover.
Osaka also thanked “all tennis fans around the world,” posting in Japanese: “Thank you all for your good wishes. I hope there will be more friends soon.”
Osaka also spoke to the media in Japanese in her statement and said she will retire but that she plans