Osaka withdraws from Japan Open with leg injury

Top-seeded Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from her quarterfinal match at the Japan Open on Friday after struggling with a left leg injury, handing Jaqueline Cristian a walkover into the semifinals, the WTA Tour confirmed.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, had been dealing with the injury since her second-round clash against 2024 champion Suzan Lamens. The issue flared up during the third set of that match. After splitting the first two sets, Osaka surged to a 5-0 lead in the deciding set, but she pulled up during a rally, signaling discomfort in her left leg. Though she managed to win the point, she requested a medical timeout shortly after.

Returning to the court with her left thigh wrapped, Osaka showed visible limitations in movement but managed to secure her third match point to close the match. Despite her effort, the injury forced her to pull out before Friday’s quarterfinal, ending her run at the Tokyo tournament.

Cristian’s advance marks her third semifinal appearance this year and her first on a surface other than clay, highlighting a breakthrough in her season.

Before this tournament, Osaka faced early exits at the China Open in late September and at last week’s Wuhan Open, indicating a challenging stretch for the Japanese star.

Elsewhere at the Japan Open, Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist, progressed to the semifinals by defeating Rebecca Šramková 7-6 (2), 6-3 in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Osaka now faces a period of recovery and evaluation, with fans and tennis observers closely watching how she manages her fitness ahead of upcoming tournaments.