No Carlos Alcaraz the world number 1 for men and therefore no Naomi Osaka for women.
The Australian Open loses a new big headliner this Sunday, with the announcement of the Japanese star's package.
“Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open.
She will be missed,” reads the tournament’s official Twitter account.
It is the young Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska who takes her place in the main draw.
Naomi Osaka has drawn from the Australian Open.
We will miss her at #AO2023 💙
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 8, 2023
The reason for the withdrawal of the double winner of the Australian Open (2019 and 2021) has not been advanced.
It is not the only former world number one to have given up the first Grand Slam of the year in recent hours.
This Saturday, the American Venus Williams also withdrew from the tournament.
Consequence of an injury that occurred during the WTA tournament in Auckland last week.
She had benefited from a
wild card
allowing her to enter directly into the main draw of the Australian Open.
She fell to 42nd place in the world
For Naomi Osaka, this extends her period away from the pitch.
She hasn't played a WTA match since October, when she withdrew from a tournament in Tokyo due to abdominal pain.
Since then, she has tumbled to 42nd in the world.
Last year, Naomi Osaka lost in the third round of the Australian Open to Amanda Anisimova.
The first Grand Slam defeat of a more than complicated season for her, who spent the whole of 2022 outside the Top 10, and spoke of mental health problems.
At Roland-Garros as at the US Open, she lost in the first round, and did not participate in the last Wimbledon tournament due to an Achilles tendon injury.
At the Pan Pacific Open in September, the 25-year-old admitted to going through
"more lows than highs"
in 2022.
