Unfortunate News for Tennis Fans as Naomi Osaka’s Deafening Silence on Australian Open Stuns Officials

The Australian Open is surely trying to be more inclusive with Djokovic’s entry this year. However, it might lose out on its two-time champion in the tournament. The tournament’s 2019 and 2021 champion has not given any indication about making it to Melbourne Park. With her fans showing indignant protest on social media continuously for quite some time, we hoped that she would be back on the court. Instead, the tennis star might need some more time off tennis than we realized.

Yes, Naomi Osaka is still in the US with no signs of preparing for the Grand Slam tournament. The former no.1 has made it on the official list of participants though. Naomi and Cordae seem to have had a great time in France. They enjoyed themselves thoroughly doing fun activities like attending concerts. With Naomi not confirming any rumors about her injury being serious or needing some time off, the mystery behind her absence from court just keeps growing.

Is Naomi Osaka retiring?

As of now, the world is unsure of whether Osaka has retired or will be back to play any more matches. It is only natural since she has been off the radar since the last four months. Osaka suffered an injury during the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2022.

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However, due to her performances in previous matches, she holds a world rank of 42 despite being low on appearances. Osaka recently kept fans engaged with her social media. She posted pictures of a Europe tour with her rapper boyfriend Cordae.

Fans have taken their anger out on her boyfriend Cordae. According to them, he has kept her from embarking on her tennis career again. After coming back from Europe, Osaka’s Instagram shows her last location to be Los Angeles. From what it looks like, the Japanese tennis star will not be participating in the Australian Open after all.

Osaka has taken time off before

Osaka has taken time off court in 2021 after she walked out of the season’s French Open. Since then, she has been open about prioritizing her mental health above everything else. While many celebrities and tennis stars supporting her decision, Osaka fans do not seem to be ready for another break. With Osaka’s performance streak seeming a little loose in 2022, the major shock came after she was defeated in the first round of the US Open.

Tennis stars like Nick Kyrgios have also not appeared in warm-up events like Osaka. This is to preserve fitness and dedicate their full time to prepare for the AO 2023. Naomi might be implementing the same strategy and can fly in before the tournament starts.

Do you think we will see Osaka at Melbourne Park on 16th January to reclaim her title with the first GS of the season? Let us know in the comments.