NEW YORK – Naomi Osaka has been forced to withdraw from her Western & Southern Open final in New York, citing a left hamstring injury.
The Japanese world No.10 was due to face Victoria Azarenka in the championship match on Saturday but handed her Belarusian opponent a walkover instead.
Osaka's withdrawal gave Azarenka her first title since 2016, and her second at the tournament.
Scheduled to play her US Open first round on Monday evening against her compatriot Misako Doi, Osaka has a quick turnaround ahead.
The 22-year-old Japanese had initially said she would not play her Thursday semi-final in a bid to spark a conversation about racism following the police shooting of a Black man in Wisconsin last week.
Officials then suspended that day’s matches and on Friday Osaka walked on the court for her semi-final wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a clenched fist and the words “Black Lives Matter” on the front.
DPA