- Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Melbourne Summer Set tournament due to an abdominal injury.
- Osaka said in a tweet that her body "got a shock from playing back to back intense matches."
- The star is still set to compete in the Australian Open, which begins on January 17.
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from a tournament just ahead of the Australian Open due to an abdominal injury.
Osaka, 24, pulled out of the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer Set ahead of when she was scheduled to play Veronika Kudermetova of Russia.
"Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break I took," Osaka said in a tweet on January 7. "I'll try to rest up and I'll see you soon!"
—NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 8, 2022
The tennis star previously withdrew from the French Open in May 2021 and from Wimbledon in June 2021, citing mental health concerns.
Osaka is still due to play in the Australian Open, which begins January 17.
"I had a lot of fun playing here in Melbourne. Unfortunately I have an abdominal injury which I need to rest and prepare for the #AusOpen," Osaka said, according to a tweet posted by the official account of the Australia Open.
The tournament made headlines earlier this week after tennis star Novak Djokovic had his visa revoked. Djokovic was previously granted a medical exemption to Australia's COVID-19 vaccine mandate so he could compete in the Australian Open.