Naomi Osaka has left the tournament in Melbourne with a stomach injury ahead of the 2022 Australian Open

Ahead of the Australian Open on 17 January, runner-up Naomi Osaka has left the WTA tournament in Melbourne due to a stomach injury. According to an Associated Press reportAlthough Osaka retired on Saturday, he managed to make it to the finals, allowing his opponent Veronika Kudermetova to advance to the final round.

“I am saddened to retire today due to injuries in my match. My body is shocked to play intense matches after the break I took.” read a Twitter post from Osaka. “Thank you for trying to rest me for all this last week’s love and see you soon!”

For the second year in a row, Osaka is retiring from a preliminary tournament at the Australian Open. In the first year, Osaka came out of the Gippsland Trophy final last season. In Melbourne, Osaka advanced to the semifinals with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Andrea Petkovic in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Once the 1st player in the world, the Melbourne Championship It marked Osaka’s return to tennis after a widespread sabbatical. Last year, Osaka refused to give press conferences or speak to the media, expressing concerns about his mental health and anxiety, and then left the French Open and left for Wimbledon. At the US Open in September, Osaka announced that it would rest in tennis.

With Osaka out, Kudermetova will face Simona Halep in Sunday’s final. Halep won the final in Melbourne on Saturday to beat Zheng Qinweni, beating him 6-3, 6-2.