Australian Open 2025: Naomi Osaka Staying Positive Despite Fitness Scare Ahead Of First Round Tie

Naomi Osaka looks to be fit for the Australian Open, having recovered from an abdominal injury that threatened to derail her preparation for the first major of the year. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)

Osaka made it to the final of the ASB Classic as part of her preparation for the Australian Open, but the four-time grand slam champion had to retire through injury, handing victory to Clara Tauson in a walkover.

The 27-year-old immediately went for an MRI scan to see the extent of her injury and, while she did not go into much detail, she suggested she was fit to face Caroline Garcia in the first round.

바카라�I바카라�m normally a really honest person but I probably won바카라�t answer your question honestly,바카라� she said.

바카라�The MRI, it wasn바카라�t fantastic, but it wasn바카라�t bad at the same time.

바카라�I바카라�m pretty optimistic about playing my match, I mean for sure I바카라�m going to play my match, and I바카라�ve been practising pretty well for the two days that I바카라�ve been here.바카라�

Osaka comes into the tournament having won it on two previous occasions in 2019 and 2021, but she faces stiff competition this year with Aryna Sabalenka looking to become only the sixth player in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles.

The decision to pull out of the Auckland final was one that Osaka struggled with, but she says it was the correct choice as she prioritises the Melbourne Park slam.

바카라�It just sucked because I felt like my body wasn바카라�t keeping up with what my mind wanted it to do, and obviously I was very concerned about my chances playing here, so I felt like the best decision was to pull out, even though I really didn바카라�t want to,바카라� said Osaka.

Osaka has not made it past the third round of the Australian Open since she last won it in 2021, having been absent on maternity leave in 2023 and beaten in the first round in 2024.

She suggested the mental toll of pulling out in Auckland was exacerbated by how she had performed while rebuilding her career over the last year.

바카라�At that moment it was an accumulation of losing in first rounds in 2024 and wanting and hoping to get to a final, and then obviously when I did, I couldn바카라�t play anymore,바카라� she said.

바카라�I바카라�m strangely over it now. Like, 30 minutes after that happened, I was over it because I felt like I바카라�m playing really well, and I can only keep continuing, and hopefully I바카라�ll get to another final.바카라�