September 22, (THEWILL) – Naomi Osaka, now ranked eighth tennis player in the world, has withdrawn from next month’s WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells. It was an expected move after she indicated that she planned to take another extended break from the sport after her US Open defeat to 18-year-old finalist Leylah Fernandez, as THEWILL reported.
Her withdrawal became public after it was announced by the official Twitter feed for the hard-court tournament in California, which tweeted: “We look forward to seeing you in 2022, Naomi.” After two enforced delays due to COVID-19, the event is now scheduled to hold between October 4-17.
Osaka, who was previously ranked number one, played her last match on tour at Flushing Meadows on September 3, when her title defence ended with a third-round loss to the Canadian Fernandez.
As THEWILL reported, after that defeat, Osaka said: “I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match.”
THEWILL recalls that the 23-year-old, who was born in Japan and now is based in the US, took time off earlier this season with a mental health break that began when she withdrew from the French Open before her second-round match.
The four-time grand slam champion also sat out Wimbledon, then returned for the Tokyo Olympics, where she lit the cauldron during the opening ceremony before a 6-1 6-4 straight sets loss to Czech player Marketa Vondrousova in the third round of the tennis event.
In post-match comments after her loss to Fernandez in New York, Osaka had said: “I feel like for me, recently, when I win, I don’t feel happy, I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad. I don’t think that’s normal.”
Coincidentally, Osaka won her first WTA title at Indian Wells in 2018.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
