![\"Naomi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769256069_982_61d108e6025016b4d805f6e310717831.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nNaomi Osaka has made a shock withdrawal from the Australian Open, handing Maddison Inglis her first appearance in the fourth round at a major.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Osaka was due to play Australian qualifier Inglis on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n
But in the hours leading up to the match, Osaka announced she had pulled out of the tournament because of an abdominal injury.<\/p>\n
“I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” Osaka wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n
“I was so excited to keep going, and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart, but I can’t risk doing any further damage, so I can get back on the court.<\/p>\n
“Thanks for all the love and support \u2026 I’m so grateful everyone embraced me so much.<\/p>\n
“And thank you to my whole team for always having my back and the tournament organisers for being so kind.”<\/p>\n
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Naomi Osaka was set to face Maddison Inglis on Saturday evening. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)<\/p>\n
Osaka later addressed a media conference to further explain her withdrawal.<\/p>\n
“It”s an injury I’ve had a couple of times before and I thought I could push through it,” Osaka said.<\/p>\n
“I played my last match with some pain, and I thought maybe if I gave myself a break before my match today, I would be able to handle it.<\/p>\n
“But I warmed up, and it got a lot worse.”<\/p>\n
![\"Sorana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/04a7255d5f341d39bd0f5359f1640dbc.jpeg\")
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Naomi Osaka (right) was involved in a controversial incident with Sorana C\u00eerstea during the tournament. (Getty Images: Phil Walter)<\/p>\n
Osaka said she would seek medical advice during her recovery from the injury.<\/p>\n
“I definitely have to do more tests,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Obviously, I think coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot.<\/p>\n
“So this is something I have to be really cautious of. I just have to, I guess, talk with a couple of doctors.”<\/p>\n
![\"Maddison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769256072_940_6348db2e3e8c42f020af9cfed8d1d2f7.jpeg\")
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Maddison Inglis is through to the fourth round of a major for the first time. (AAP: Lukas Coch)<\/p>\n
Inglis said she did not learn of Osaka’s withdrawal until the preceding men’s match between Novak Djokovic and Botic van de Zandschulp had already begun on Rod Laver Arena.<\/p>\n
The Western Australian felt for Osaka and hoped the 28-year-old would recover quickly.<\/p>\n
‘I wanted it so bad’: How Inglis claimed emotional Aus Open win<\/a><\/p>\n With a 10-point tiebreaker to decide her Australian Open fate, Maddison Inglis knew there was only one avenue to victory.<\/p>\n But she was excited about the opportunity to play for a quarterfinal berth against six-time major winner Iga \u015awi\u0105tek.<\/p>\n “It’s unbelievable. It doesn’t really feel real,” Inglis told the Nine Network.<\/p>\n “Ever since I kind of qualified, it’s been a blur. I will look back after it’s all done and be super proud.”<\/p>\n Inglis becomes the first Australian woman to contest the fourth round since Ash Barty’s tournament victory in 2022.<\/p>\n She made the third round in the same year Barty lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.<\/p>\n Osaka’s turbulent tournament<\/p>\n Osaka, a two-time Australian Open champion, was seeded 16th at this year’s tournament.<\/p>\n She was involved in a heated exchange at the net following her second-round match against Romania’s Sorana C\u00eerstea on Thursday evening<\/a>.<\/p>\n The former world number one later apologised for any disrespect C\u00eerstea might have felt after comments she made in an on-court interview.<\/p>\n Naomi Osaka turned heads before her first-round match on Rod Laver Arena. (Getty Images: Robert Prange)<\/p>\n![\"Naoi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1769256072_353_5d5eef128ad171220f50b76527e2d7d1.jpeg\")
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