Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the 2022 Wimbledon tournament.
The Grand Slam released its withdrawal list Saturday, with Osaka included, citing a leg injury for her absence. The 24-year-old has been battling an Achilles injury this season, chronicling her rehab journey on social media.
Osaka addressed her injury on Twitter on Saturday, writing, “my Achilles still isn’t right so I’ll see you next time,” alongside a heartfelt post.
my Achilles still isn’t right so I’ll see you next time 🥹🌱👋🏾 pic.twitter.com/mryWdKnitN
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) June 18, 2022
Osaka said in May she was considering skipping Wimbledon due to the tournament’s lack of ranking points. The WTA stripped the major of its points after Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing due to the war in Ukraine.
“I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition. I know this isn’t true, right? But my brain just feels that way. Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can’t go at it 100%,” Osaka said.
Former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard also withdrew from Wimbledon on Saturday, citing the tournament’s lack of points in her decision to skip the Grand Slam.
“I have decided to withdraw from Wimbledon due to the WTA’s decision to not award ranking points at this year’s Championships,” Bouchard wrote. “Due to my shoulder surgery, I get a limited number of protected (PR) entries. As much as I love Wimbledon and skipping it makes me sad, using a PR entry at a tournament with no ranking points doesn’t make sense.”
Wimbledon is set to kick off June 27 at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.