Naomi Osaka makes a crucial decision before the US Open: "I am very sad"

After sleeping on it, Naomi Osaka will not play in the upcoming WTA 1000 in Cincinnati. The Japanese player has announced her withdrawal from the U.S. tournament citing fatigue, a decision that comes after a demanding hard court tour and with the US Open drawing closer.

The four-time Grand Slam champion played seven matches between Washington and Toronto, two of which were decided in three sets. “I’m very sad to have to withdraw from Cincinnati this year due to fatigue. I love playing here and I look forward to coming back and competing in Cincinnati next year,” Osaka explained in a statement released by the WTA. The Japanese player had just completed two weeks of competition with a significant number of matches. In Washington, she reached the semifinals, while in Toronto, she made it to the quarterfinals.

Osaka has shown a rising competitive level during this North American tour, stringing together important victories and regaining her feelings ahead of the last big event of the season. However, the accumulation of matches and travel has taken its toll, and the former world number one has chosen to slow down before facing the decisive stretch of the calendar.

The US Open on the horizon

The withdrawal from Cincinnati also changes the tournament draw. Katerina Siniakova, the next seed, now occupies Osaka's position and receives a bye to the second round. For Osaka, the goal now is to rest and arrive in the best possible condition in New York, the Grand Slam where she has already been champion twice. Cincinnati was one of her last opportunities to continue accumulating matches before heading to Flushing Meadows, but the Japanese player has opted to listen to her body. The mission is clear: regain strength and arrive fresh for a US Open where she will again seek to be in the spotlight.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Naomi Osaka toma una decisión crucial antes del US Open: “Estoy muy triste”