"I still have tears" - Naomi Osaka reveals severity of back and abdomen injuries as her 2024 season ends with Billie Jean King Cup withdrawal

Naomi Osaka's 2024 season has come to an end after withdrawing from the Billie Jean King Cup due to injuries. Initially, she believed she had a back strain, but further medical evaluations revealed a bulging disc in her back and torn abdominal muscles.

Osaka was on the sidelines for over a year, as she was on a maternity hiatus for the entirety of 2023. She came back to tour this year and has played several tournaments coming into October.

Osaka's last match of the season was against Coco Gauff in the fourth round of the China Open. The Japanese star was aiming to earn a fourth consecutive win for the first time since returning to the tour, and she started strong with an impressive first set.

However, Gauff rallied to take the second set, pushing the match to a decider. Osaka ultimately retired before the third set due to injury. Initially thought to be a back issue, Osaka has since revealed more details.

The 27-year-old expressed her disappointment in pulling out of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and the Billie Jean King Cup. According to Japan's Kyodo News agency, Osaka told reporters:

"I've played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision to not play this and obviously not play BJK. I really honestly enjoyed it so much, and I think it helped with my development as a player."

In the qualifying rounds of the event in April, Osaka helped Japan get the better of Kazakhstan. In the Finals, set to take place in November, Japan will face Romania and the winner will take on third-seed Italy in the quarterfinal.

Talking about her injury, Osaka revealed she had raptured abdominal muscles.

"I thought I strained my back, but I did an MRI in Beijing, and they said that I bulged a disc in my back and I also raptured abdominal muscles."

She added:

"I was practicing in Los Angeles in order to play here, but then I took another MRI and it said that I still have tears."

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Naomi Osaka was recently spotted playing pickleball in Japan

Naomi Osaka at the 2024 China Open (Image: Getty)

Naomi Osaka tried her hand at pickleball recently in Japan. A video of her playing the popular racket sport was uploaded on X. The Japanese tennis star hilariously hit her first shot into the net but improved immensely from the next play.

Notably, Osaka has invested in the sport, as she helped in the formation of the Miami Pickleball Club in 2022, along with Nick Kyrgios, Kygo, and Patrick Mahomes. Osaka has also invested in the North Carolina Courage, a soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League.