Australian Open 2026: Naomi Osaka pulls out with abdominal injury

Women's tennis star Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the 2026 Australian Open due to injury.

The two-time Australian Open champion did not feel fit enough to play on Saturday (24 January) because of an abdominal injury.

This means that Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis is through to the last 16.

Osaka who was scheduled to be in action after Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena, posted the following on Instagram:

"I've had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match.

"I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart but I can't risk doing any further damage so I can get back on the court.

"Thanks for all the love and support... I'm so grateful everyone embraced me so much. And thank you to my whole team for always having my back and the tournament organisers for being so kind."

The 28-year-old had reached the third round of the women’s singles at the 2026 Australian Open, with a hard-fought victory over Sorana Cîrstea on Thursday (22 January).

Wearing her now-famous jellyfish-inspired outfit for her entrance at the Margaret Court Arena, Osaka defeated her Romanian opponent 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

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