Story byPhoto by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesCameron GreenleesSat, January 24, 2026 at 2:41 PM UTC·2 min readJust hours before she was set to face Maddison Inglis in the third round, Naomi Osaka pulled out of the Australian Open. It is a major setback for the tournament, especially since Osaka had been playing well and is a two-time champion. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis week will not be one Osaka looks back on fondly, as controversy has followed her since her opening match. Her first-round outfit drew plenty of attention even before a post-match disagreement with Sorana Cirstea put her back in the spotlight. This latest decision only adds to what has already been a difficult start to her season. Naomi Osaka out of Australian Open with injuryPhoto by Quinn Rooney/Getty ImagesNaomi Osaka has addressed the media following her withdrawal from the Australian Open, explaining what led to her decision to pull out. She told reporters: “Yeah, I mean, it’s an injury I’ve had a couple of times before, and I thought I could push through it. I played my last match with some pain, and I thought maybe if I gave myself a break before my match today, I would be able to handle it, but I warmed up, and it got a lot worse, so yeah.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOsaka does not yet have a clear diagnosis but shared what she knows so far: “Yeah, I mean, I definitely have to do more tests, and obviously I think coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot. So this is something I have to be really cautious of.“Yeah, I just have to, I guess, talk with a couple of doctors.”Despite the early exit, Osaka said she still found positives during her time in Melbourne.“Yeah, I mean, I think for me obviously it was nice that everyone enjoyed my outfit, but also, I enjoyed playing the tennis here.