Naomi Osaka retires from Wimbledon due to an Achilles tendon injury

having published A Twitter video of herself rehabilitating her Achilles tendon on an underwater treadmill last week, on Saturday the 24-year-old was placed on the tournament withdrawal list with a “leg injury.”

Osaka retired from the Italian Open with an ankle injury in May, although they returned to play at the French Open that same month, where she suffered a first-round defeat to 20-year-old Amanda Anisimova.

After the defeat, the Japanese star said she was unsure whether she would play at Wimbledon in light of the decision to remove points from the tournament, which runs from June 27 to July 10.

The world no. 43 has not played at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2019, although the Grand Slam was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

The decision came just months after Osaka withdrew from the French Open after refusing to speak to the media to protect their mental health, which resulted in a stint from tennis for the former No. world. 1.

“I feel like life keeps dealing cards and you will never get used to it,” wrote Osaka. “But it’s the way you adapt to uncomfortable situations that says a lot about your character.

“I’ve been repeating mantras a lot in my head recently. I don’t know if it’s to subconsciously help me get through stressful times or to relax my mind in realizing that everything will be fine as long as I try.

“Because what else can you do?”