Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the 2026 Australian Open ahead of her third-round match, citing a recurring left abdominal injury exacerbated by post-pregnancy changes. Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis advances to the fourth round via walkover to face Iga Swiatek. The withdrawal follows Osaka's three-set victory over Sorana Cirstea and comes amid controversy over her on-court behavior.
Naomi Osaka's Australian Open campaign ended abruptly on January 24, 2026, when she pulled out hours before her scheduled third-round clash with qualifier Maddison Inglis. The two-time Australian Open champion, who won titles in 2019 and 2021, attributed the decision to a left abdominal injury she has experienced multiple times before. "It's an injury I've had a couple of times before, and I thought I could push through it," Osaka said via Tennis Australia. "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, but I warmed up, and it got a lot worse."
Osaka noted changes in her body since pregnancy, adding, "I definitely have to do more tests, and obviously I think coming back from pregnancy, my body changed quite a lot. So this is something I have to be really cautious of." This marks the second consecutive year she has retired at the Australian Open due to abdominal issues; in 2025, she withdrew in the third round against Belinda Bencic after leading 5-2 in the first set. She also retired in the Auckland final against Clara Tauson earlier that year for the same reason.
In her second-round match on January 23, Osaka defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena. The victory was tense, with Cirstea upset over Osaka's repeated "Come on!" shouts between serves to motivate herself. Post-match, the handshake was minimal, and Osaka remarked, "Apparently a lot of 'come ons' that she was angry about, but whatever. I think this was her last Australian Open so, OK, sorry she was mad about it." Novak Djokovic's wife, Jelena, criticized the incident as "disrespectful," questioning if it constituted a hindrance and noting umpires' usual enforcement of quiet between serves.
Osaka's withdrawal opens the path for Inglis, ranked No. 168, to face world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the fourth round. Swiatek, fresh off a 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 win over Anna Kalinskaya, expressed sympathy for Osaka: "She was playing great... I hope she's well." She also made a light plea to the Australian crowd ahead of facing the local favorite: "Hopefully you're not going to be so harsh for me if I play Australian but a lot of Polish flags here, so yeah, please make it even." The pair previously met in 2021 at the Adelaide International, where Swiatek won 6-1, 6-3.
Osaka reflected positively on her tournament despite the early exit, praising her fitness in two three-set matches and her viral entrance outfit featuring a veil, parasol, and butterfly hat. "I played two three-set matches, and I felt really physically healthy -- Not my ab, but just fitness-wise, it felt really good," she said. Six-time Grand Slam semifinalist Tim Henman called the withdrawal a "big surprise," noting Osaka's preparation in Australia.