Naomi Osaka in action during a match
Naomi Osaka opted out of the upcoming Wimbledon championship.
She cited a lingering problem with her left Achilles tendon for not playing the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
It is worth noting that this is the second consecutive year that she has decided to sit out.
The four-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player posted a photo of herself on a grass court and wrote on Twitter: “my Achilles still isn't right so I'll see you next time.”
Osaka has not played an official match since losing in the first round of the French Open to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 on May 24.
After that defeat, Osaka said she was leaning toward missing Wimbledon because the professional tennis tours aren't ranking points awarded — a response to the All England Club's decision to bar all players from Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.
“I'm not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it's more like an exhibition. I know this isn't true, right? But my brain just feels that way. Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can't go at it 100%,” Osaka had said.
She missed Wimbledon a year ago as part of a mental health break she took after pulling out of the French Open before her second-round match.
All four of Osaka's Grand Slam titles came on hard courts: at the U.S. Open in 2018 and 2020 and the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021.
The 24-year-old Osaka has played just 17 matches this season and her ranking fell to No. 43 this week.
(Inputs from PTI)
