Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka’s run at the Japan Open came to an abrupt and disappointing end on Friday as she was forced to withdraw from her quarterfinal match due to a left leg injury.
This unfortunate development means her opponent, Jaqueline Cristian, automatically advances to the semifinals via a walkover, as confirmed by the WTA Tour.
Tournament organizers revealed that Osaka, the top seed, had not fully recovered from an injury she sustained late in her previous second-round encounter. For Cristian, this marks her third semifinal appearance of the year, and notably, her first on a surface other than clay, highlighting a significant moment in her season.
Prior to this setback, Osaka had displayed strong form at the tournament, securing victories against Wakana Sonobe and the 2024 champion, Suzan Lamens.
The injury initially surfaced during her match against Lamens. After splitting the first two sets, Osaka was dominating the third with a commanding 5-0 lead. However, during a rally while Lamens was serving, Osaka suddenly clutched her left leg. Despite winning the point when Lamens hit a backhand wide, she immediately requested a medical timeout.
Returning to the court with her left thigh visibly wrapped and her movement clearly restricted, the four-time major winner bravely managed to close out the match on her third match point.
This latest injury adds to a challenging period for Osaka, who also experienced second-round exits at the China Open in late September and the Wuhan Open just the week before.
In other quarterfinal action on Friday at the Japan Open, Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist, secured her spot in the next round by defeating Rebecca Šramková in straight sets, 7-6 (2), 6-3.