Australian Open officials are ‘scrambling’ to find two-time champion Naomi Osaka after her recent European holiday… and the former world No 1 MISSING the Melbourne slam ‘quietly resigned’
- Organizers have reportedly ‘resigned’ to Naomi Osaka not playing in Melbourne
- The former world No 1 is on the entry list but is not believed to be in Australia
- Osaka recently posted about a trip to Europe with her boyfriend in October
Australian Open officials have reportedly remained in the dark as to whether two-time champion Naomi Osaka will play in the tournament – with organizers unsure if she has gone under.
Just 11 days from the opening of the 2023 Grand Slam, Osaka, who won the women’s tournament at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021, is a question mark for organizers, in what would represent a major blow to the women’s draw if he will not perform.
Osaka has kept a low profile of late, not playing a match for four months and giving very few indicators that she is stepping up her training for Australia.
There are doubts whether former world No 1 Naomi Osaka will play at the Australian Open
Osaka recently posted on social media about her European vacation with her rapper boyfriend, when he was on tour in October. as they saw the Mona Lisa while stopping in Paris, France
Her Instagram is pretty quiet, but she recently posted a series of photos from a holiday in Europe with her rapper boyfriend Cordae since October, while he was on tour.
One of the photos she posted showed the pair in Paris, France, posing in front of the famous Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre.
A second indicator that she’s still not in Australia appeared on her Instagram story when she was tagged in a photo taken at a Los Angeles pilates studio last night.
Osaka has not played a match in four months and looks unlikely to enter Australia
The Australian Associated Press reported that while Osaka was named on the entry list for women’s singles, organizers had ‘quietly resigned’ to the former world No 1 not playing.
The report added that some are even questioning whether he will ever return to the tennis court.
His absence from the tune-up events in either Adelaide or Hobart was viewed as a sign of his expected absence from Melbourne.
The absences of 2022 Australian Open champion Ash Barty, who has opted to retire, as well as Serena Williams and Roger Federer mean some of the sport’s biggest names are missing out on the season-opening slam, much to the chagrin of organizer.
He lost in the first round of the US Open and is believed to still be in the US today
Osaka, now down to world No 42, has not played since she withdrew from a second round match in Tokyo in September complaining of stomach pain.
Her last win came against Daria Saville in Tokyo – but that was an incomplete fight with Aussie Saville suffering a torn ACL.
Osaka’s form, or lack thereof, has seen her exit in the first round of her last three tournaments, including the final slam of 2022, the US Open, losing in straight sets to Danielle Collins.
The draw for the Australian Open takes place next Thursday and all eyes are glued to the entry sheet to see if Osaka’s pull out is official.
