Naomi Osaka was an embodiment of determination while she went through a painful left leg issue and became one of the eight matches to compete in the Japan Open.
The first seed was clearly not happy after the match. She was practically in tears and at the same time dealing with such a heavy discomfort that she could hardly walk on the court.
A Hard Fight Against The Previous Champion
Osaka met Suzan Lamens, who was defending her title from last year. The match became a real test of endurance and lasted more than two hours.
This is how it happened:
- Osaka won the first set in a close tiebreak with a score of 7-6
- Lamens came back really strong and took the second set 3-6
- The third set started wonderfully for Osaka as she raced to a 5-0 lead
- Then calamity struck as her left leg began to be a real troublemaker
The Moment Everything Took A Turn
All was going well until Osaka suddenly stopped during a rally while she was leading by a significant margin in the last set. The agony was evident on her face immediately.
She was able to complete that point after Lamens made an error, but it was clear to the audience that something was not right.
Medical Help On Court
Osaka asked for a medical break right after that scary moment. The medical team came out and worked on her left thigh while she sat there looking worried. When she came back to compete, her leg was wrapped up tight with thick strapping that you couldn’t miss.
Her movement wasn’t the same anymore. She couldn’t run around like before and dropped the next two rounds. But she dug deep and closed things out on her third try at match point.
Raw Emotion After The Final Point
The second Osaka struck her last backhand to end the match, she bent over and covered her face. She was clearly holding back tears as she walked to shake hands at the net. The whole moment was heavy and showed just how much she was dealing with both physically and mentally.
What Osaka Said About Her Struggle
She made no attempt to conceal the intensity of the situation. After a very brief discussion in the court, Osaka went as far as to say sorry for her conduct. Eventually, she had to interrupt the interview because her leg was giving her so much trouble.
In the continuation of the conversation, she revealed more about what had happened after the match. She confessed to taking analgesics in order to literally overcome the match. Without the pills, it would have been next to impossible to finish the match.
Osaka mentioned her inability to move properly during the match’s closing stages. Nevertheless, she was optimistic and said she usually recovers quickly, thus, it would not be a problem to be ready for her next round.
Her First Time Home In Years
This tournament was a big deal because Osaka hadn’t participated in a singles match in her home country, Japan, for the past three years. Not only that, but the fact that the championship was hosted in the city with her last name made the experience even more amazing. The competitor, who was very close to the fans there, definitely wanted to make them happy.
Being the top seeded competitor, the 28-year-old finished the match against the Japanese Venus Williams, Wakana Sonobe, without any trouble in the first round. But then came the grueling and painful challenge with Lamens that left her injured.
What Came Next?
Osaka was supposed to face Jaqueline Cristian from Romania in the last eight. Fans at Kheloexch and other platforms were eager to see if she could keep going despite the problem. Unfortunately, the injury didn’t get better fast enough.
She ended up pulling out before the match on Friday. Tournament officials said she hadn’t recovered from the left leg issue that hit her during the Lamens match. This meant Cristian moved on without competing.
Looking At Her Recent Form
Osaka came into this event ranked 16th around the world. She had some rough results lately:
- Lost in the second round at the China Open in late September
- Got knocked out early at the Wuhan Open the week before
- Made it to her first major semis since 2021 at the US Open earlier this year
- Owns four Grand Slam titles from earlier in her career
Her exit left Leylah Fernandez as the top remaining seed at the event. Fans following coverage on Kheloexch and elsewhere were disappointed to see her tournament end this way.
The Heart She Showed
Osaka couldn’t complete the whole tournament, but she still managed to show something significant in her confrontation with Lamens. She had the option to cease her participation at the very moment the pain showed up. It would have been no surprise if she surrendered at that instance since everybody was likely to sympathize with her.
On the contrary, she wrapped up her leg and fought on. The very last two rounds were full of her heart. She was not in good enough condition to move, but still, she found a way to be victorious in the match.
The crying at the end was the absolute narrative. She was not doing tennis only. Being in her country, suffering from physical pain, and going through all the emotions made this match one that would be remembered by people.
Osaka’s choice to withdraw from the next contest was a wise one. It is sometimes very hard to decide which is the stronger thing to do in order to move on or to step back; in her case, by stepping back she was going to know exactly when to heal. At the age of 28, she is still the owner of a long tennis career provided that she takes proper care of herself.
