The 24-year-old Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, says she has pulled out of the game with health issue.
Osaka, was to play at the Toray Pan Pacific Opened in front of the amazing fans in Japan.
Osaka said in a statement released by organizers that.“This has and always will be a special tournament for me and I wish I could have stepped on court today, but my body won’t let me.” Thank you for all your support this week and I will see you next year,” she added.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, was looking to end a poor run of form in Tokyo, where she is the defending champion when the tournament was played in 2019.
She has plummeted to 48 in the women’s world rankings after a wretched run that saw her crash out in the first round of her previous three tournaments.
Osaka’s first-round match in Tokyo against Australia’s Daria Saville lasted just seven minutes before her opponent collapsed with an injured knee.
Osaka has been outside the top 10 all year and endured first-round defeats at both the French and US Opens.
Osaka has previously talked about struggles with her mental health and her withdrawal from the Pan Pacific Open was just the latest blow for the tournament.
Writing by Fany Olumoye; editing by Julian Osamoto