Naomi Osaka will not feature at Wimbledon out of concern for the importance of the tournament and her leg.
The four-time Grand Slam winner withdrew on Saturday, citing the left Achilles injury she sustained at the Madrid Open. She taped her ankle during a first-round loss at the French Open in May.
“[M]y Achilles is still not well, so see you next time”, Osaka tweeted Saturday, along with a note suggesting she’s currently trying to cope with “stressful times.”
Naomi Osaka, Getty Images, Instagram
Osaka, the former world No. 1, hinted last month that she could skip Wimbledon regardless of her Achilles as no ranking points will be awarded at the tournament this year. The ATP and WTA announced the postponement because the event bans Russian and Belarusian players after their countries invaded Ukraine.
“I’m not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more of a show,” Osaka told reporters after her French Open loss. “I know that’s not true, right? But my brain feels the same way. If I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t do it 100 percent. I haven’t even made my decision yet, but I’m more inclined not to play given the current circumstances, but that could change.”
Eugenie Bouchard doesn’t play Wimbledon because it doesn’t affect the rankings.
“I don’t want to say meaningless – no pun intended,” Osaka said at Roland Garros. “But I’m the kind of player who gets motivated when I see my ranking go up or something.”