22 September – On Thursday, Naomi Osaka withdrew from her second-round match against Beatriz Haddad Maia due to abdominal discomfort, ending her defence of the Pan Pacific Open title in her home tournament.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who won the event in her hometown of Osaka in 2019, expressed her sadness at being unable to compete today.
“Being able to compete at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in front of the amazing Japanese fans is an honour. I wish I could have played today, but my body won’t let me because this event has been and always will be important to me.”
It was the most recent setback for the 24-year-old, who previously had to withdraw from her first-round match in Toronto due to a back injury in the lead-up to the US Open and missed the whole grasscourt season owing to an Achilles injury.
Haddad Maia of Brazil will compete against either Mexican qualifier Fernanda Contreras Gomez or fourth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova in the quarterfinals.
