Disappointment continues for the two-time Australian Open champion, Naomi Osaka. The Japanese tennis star was seen calling the physio in the middle of her third-round match against Belinda Bencic. Fans were worried seeing that moment because we saw what happened in her final match at Auckland and guess what? She has been yet again forced to retire from a vital match in her 2025 season. It looks like she has been having a similar issue in Melbourne as well. Osaka looked absolutely shattered after taking the final call after the first set. What did her opponent say about this abrupt ending to this enticing clash of two tennis moms?

Well, Belinda Bencic won the first set by 7-6(3) and shortly after finishing the match, Bencic was seen sharing a heartfelt message to Naomi Osaka. She wrote, “Get well soon Mama” and also drew a heart beside that message on the on-court camera. In Auckland, it was Naomi Osaka’s first WTA final in three years. After pulling out of her match against Clara Burel at the ASB Classic final, Naomi Osaka said, “I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city I had a lot of fun playing here and I’m really sorry about how it ended. I hope you did enjoy the tennis that we did play and I’m just really grateful to be here.”

According to various reports, it seems the same abdominal injury has now cut short her promising start at the 2025 AO. She was forced to go three sets in both of her previous matches. However, Naomi Osaka eventually had the last laugh against Caroline Garcia and Karolina Muchova in the previous two rounds. In this match against Bencic, she looked slightly uncomfortable late in the first set. Her reduced service motion was something that had initially raised the eyebrows of several fans inside the stadium.

This was Naomi Osaka’s sixth meeting with the Swiss star. Interestingly, Belinda Bencic currently has a 3-2 lead over the Japanese in the H2H record. Considering her form in the last few matches, everyone thought Naomi Osaka could perhaps put things on level terms with Bencic with a win on Friday. However, injuries yet again derail her from her mission!

Both these players were out of action for quite a while, Naomi Osaka returned to the court in January 2024 after having spent more than 15 on the sidelines. Even Belinda Bencic made a comeback in October 2024 at an ITF event in Hamburg, six months after giving birth to her daughter. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, while Bencic is an Olympic gold medalist, so the stage was set and fans were seen portraying their excitement on social media surrounding this epic battle of super moms!

Unfortunately for both the players and the fans, this match had to end in such a manner. What else did Belinda Bencic say about Naomi Osaka after this disappointing ending to their match?

“Really feel for Naomi (Osaka)” – Belinda Bencic shares a heartfelt thought on her opponent’s withdrawal from their R3 match

Both these tennis stars have a bit of bitter history from their previous meetings and that’s what made this contest more interesting. For example, during the 2021 French Open, Naomi Osaka created quite a commotion in the tennis world when she refused to take part in the post-match press conference. During that time Belinda Bencic was asked to share her thoughts on that, and guess what she said that time?

Well, the Swiss made an interesting comment on Naomi Osaka after seeing that incident. She said, “I respect Naomi’s decision. But media is part of the job and it contributes to the worldwide publicity we have and we get paid very well. Naomi does a lot of good things. On the other hand, I feel like sometimes it’s just about to remain in the talk.” After that, there have been multiple such incidents that have raised a bit of curiosity about their relationship among the fans.

Speaking on their off-court bond, Naomi Osaka recently said, “I don’t want to say I’ve grown up with her, but we’ve definitely seen each other on tour. It’s really cool that she also had a baby, and she came back as well. She seems to be doing really good. So yeah, I think it’s going to be fun.” Even when asked if she gave her advice after Bencic made a comeback to the court as a mother, Naomi Osaka said, “Oh, she doesn’t want advice from me, I promise…No, I haven’t really bumped into her. It’s weird when you’re at a Slam. You don’t really see people when you expect them but I guess I’ll see her on the other side of the court.”

Just before her match against Osaka, the Swiss said that this match was going to be a “fun match” and she also highlighted her superior record against the 2-time AO champion. It was fun watching their close fight in the first set, though but unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last long. Speaking on Osaka’s withdrawal, Belinda Bencic further added, “At this moment I really feel for Naomi. I saw her struggling a bit at the end of the set. It’s not the way you’d like the match to end. It was a good match. Hopefully, she’ll be fine soon and can play well for the rest of the season.” Later on, she was also seen giving a hug to the Japanese star and consoling her for this massive upset.

Now, fans will be keeping their fingers crossed and wish Naomi Osaka makes a strong comeback in her next match. Do you think she can win some big titles this season?