Australian Open: Naomi Osaka withdraws from first Grand Slam of year

Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Australian Open just eight days before the tournament starts.

Osaka, a two time winner of the Australian Open, has not played on the tour since September and is currently 42nd in the world rankings.

There was no explanation for the player's withdrawal.

The main draw has been changed so that Dayana is in it.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and Spain's world number one Carlos Alcaraz are two of the stars who have pulled out of the Australian Open.

It is not known if British number one Emma Raducanu will play at the Australian Open after she rolled her ankle at the ASB Classic.

As she defended the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Osaka retired from her second-round match.

Prior to the Tokyo event, she had been defeated in the first round of three other tournaments. She lost in the first round of the French Open in May and withdrew from Wimbledon in June because of an injured ankle.

In May 2021, Osaka pulled out of the French Open after revealing she had "suffered long bouts of depression" since winning her first Grand Slam title, and in September of that year she announced she was taking a break from the sport.