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“I’m sorry to have to retire today because of an injury,” said Naomi Osaka, who is currently on Monday night’s program at the US Open, where she will play compatriot Misaki Doi in the first round.
NEW YORK (AP) – Japan’s Naomi Osaka withdrew from Saturday’s Western & Southern Open final due to a left hamstring injury, meaning Victoria Azarenka takes the title by one step.
“I’m sorry to have to retire today due to injury,” said Osaka, who is currently on Monday night’s schedule at the US Open, where he will play compatriot Misaki Doi in the first round.
“Yesterday I pulled my left hamstring in the second set tiebreaker and it didn’t recover overnight as expected.”
Osaka had defeated Belgian Elise Mertens in the semi-final to set up the championship match against two-time Australian Open winner Azarenka of Belarus in the same New York COVID-19 quarantine bubble where the US Open begins. United on Monday.
Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion of Haitian and Japanese descent, had threatened not to play in the semifinals to protest the police shooting of African-American Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Osaka said she was “sick to her stomach” and “exhausted” from repeated violence against blacks by American police, echoing a move by the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks to boycott a playoff game for the same reason.
Osaka’s decision led the WTA and ATP to postpone all semi-final matches for Friday, inspiring Osaka to change her mind and play, although she was concerned that other late players would be upset.
“This has been an emotional week and I want to thank everyone for the tremendous support,” Osaka said.
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