Naomi Osaka injury update: Japanese addresses concerns ahead of Australian Open 2025

Naomi Osaka retired from the ASB Classic final in Auckland on January 5 raising injury concerns ahead of the Australian Open. The Japanese, however, has assured that she will compete although her MRI scan results are not "fantastic."

During the pre-tournament press conference in Melbourne ahead of the 2025 Australian Open, Osaka was asked about an MRI scan she had after Auckland and her fitness level heading into the tournament.

While the 27-year-old declined to share full details, she revealed that the scan results were mixed.

"Well, I'm normally a really honest person, but I probably won't answer your question honestly (smiling). But, I mean, the MRI, it wasn't fantastic but it wasn't bad at the same time. So saying all that, I'm pretty optimistic about playing my match. I mean, for sure I'm going to play my match," Osaka said.

"Yeah, I've been practicing pretty well for the two days that I've been here, so... Seems to be going good," she added.

Osaka kicked off the 2025 season in Auckland, where she reached her first final since 2022, marking a significant milestone in her comeback journey. Despite struggling with inconsistency since returning from her maternity hiatus, her strong start this season signaled marked improvement.

In the final against Clara Tauson, Osaka claimed the opening set 6-4 but was forced to retire due to abdominal strain, just one set away from the title. The four-time Grand Slam champion, however, remained optimistic and has now confirmed her participation in the year’s first Grand Slam.

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Naomi Osaka opens up about facing Caroline Garcia for the second straight time in Australian Open 1R

Naomi Osaka (L) and Caroline Garcia at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open (Image Source: Getty)

Naomi Osaka is set for a "déjà vu" moment as she faces Caroline Garcia in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open, mirroring their matchup in the opening round of the tournament in 2024. Reflecting on the draw, Osaka admitted surprise but jokingly noted it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

"I feel like we haven't played in a couple of months, so maybe it was to be expected, too (smiling). Yeah, I would say my relationship with her, it's definitely grown a lot. I can't say, like, we're BFFs. I really respect her a lot. I feel the same energy coming from her," Naomi Osaka said.

"I also like the fact that we were born on the same day, so we have the same birthdays. I can't ever have bad blood with a fellow Libra," she added.

This will be the fifth battle between Osaka and Garcia, with their head-to-head record split evenly. They played each other thrice in a matter of months in 2024, and each match ended in straight sets, with Garcia winning two. The Frenchwoman also won the Australian Open encounter against her Japanese counterpart last year.