Naomi Osaka Succumbs to Injury in Australian Open Clash Against Belinda Bencic

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Four-time Grand Slam winner, Naomi Osaka, has crashed out of the Australian Open after retiring after the first set of her third round showdown against Belinda Bencic in Melbourne.

It is the same abdominal injury that caused Naomi Osaka to retire from the Auckland final with a one-set lead over Clara Tauson less than two weeks ago.

Osaka was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time since returning from maternity leave and was on course to win the first set with ease after storming to a 4-1 lead.

Aiming to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam since winning the Australian Open in 2021, Osaka started to struggle and was able to win one more game before needing treatment from the physio.

At that moment, Bencic had taken a 6-5 lead and soon wrapped up the first set 7-6 (7-3) after winning the tie-breaker before Osaka retired from the match.

“I really feel for Naomi I saw her struggling a bit in the end of the set. It’s not the way you want the match to end,” Bencic stated after the match.

She added, “She started better than me but I found my rhythm. I tried to focus on myself. I have things to improve but I’m happy with the way I’m playing right now.”

Interestingly, both women are new mothers, with Osaka having her child in July 2023 while Bencic had hers in April 2024.

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