Naomi Osaka Retires From Bad Homburg Open Final with a Foot Injury

Naomi Osaka retired from the Bad Homburg Open women's singles final due to a foot injury on Saturday, June 27.

Trailing 6-1, 1-0 to Czech opponent Karolina Muchova in Bad Homburg, Germany, Osaka didn't continue playing due to right foot pain.

Osaka needed a medical timeout in the first set. According to published reports, she first felt pain in her right foot at this tournament earlier in the week.

The match ended after 46 minutes, with world No 11 Muchova winning her third career WTA Tour singles title.

Osaka, who was seeded sixth for the Wimbledon Open tuneup event, slipped to 7-7 in WTA singles finals.

"I just want to say thank you to everyone who came to watch the match," Osaka said on the tennis court after the match.

She then said, "I apologize for not being able to finish, but this atmosphere was incredible throughout the week."

Osaka was attempting to win her first WTA Tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open.

A Career-First Feat for Naomi Osaka

In Friday's semifinals, Osaka defeated China's Xinyu Wang 6-3, 6-1 to reach a grass-court singles final for the first time in her pro tennis career.

"I'm really happy, but there's one more match to be played and we're going to focus on that," Osaka was quoted as saying by Olympics.com.

Reacting to the win, Osaka, 28, also showcased her self-deprecating humor.

"It's funny to still be [achieving] milestones at my old age," Osaka added with a laugh, the WTA Tour website reported. "For me, it's really fun and I'm really happy."

On Thursday, Osaka topped 19th-ranked Russian opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semifinals. It was the four-time Grand Slam singles champion's first-ever victory on grass over a player ranked in the top 20.

Recent Results for Naomi Osaka

In addition to the Bad Homburg Open, Naomi Osaka has stayed active on the WTA Tour in recent months.

Osaka reached the fourth round of the French Open in June. She also advanced to the round of 16 at the Italian Open in May, and did the same thing at the Madrid Open in April.

She also reached the BNP Paribas Open's round of 16 in March.

A Look Ahead

Wimbledon gets underway on Monday, June 29. Former world No 1 Osaka, who is seeded 14th, is scheduled to face France's 82nd-ranked Elsa Jacquemot in the opening round of women's singles on Monday.

At the time of publication, it remains unclear if Naomi Osaka will be ready to return to competition due to her foot injury.

A Mother-Daughter Tennis Tale

During the Bad Homburg Open, Osaka shared a conversation she had with her daughter, Shai, who turns 3 in early July.

As chronicled by Olympics.com, Osaka responded to a reporter's question about whether her daughter knows she is a high-level pro tennis player.

"I don't know if she knows that I'm successful," Osaka said before adding, "I think she just knows that I play tennis!"

Osaka continued: "Sometimes when we are at home and I pick up my tennis bag, she's like, 'Oh, are you going to [play] tennis?' So, I don't know if she really likes it.

"I think she knows what I do, but she probably just doesn't know how good I am at it."

Author: Ed Odeven

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