Naomi Osaka lauded by leading tennis journalist for being considerate with Australian Open withdrawal 

Naomi Osaka will not be seen Down Under in 2023 as it was announced on Sunday that the two-time Australian Open champion has pulled out of the Slam. The update was published on the official social media page of the Australian Open.

This would be Naomi Osaka’s first time missing the tournament, having participated in all editions since her debut in 2016. Although fans weren’t happy with the news of the former World No. 1’s withdrawal, leading tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg was appreciative of her for pulling out of the 2023 event before the qualifying rounds commenced.

The Japanese tennis icon’s early withdrawal meant that a new player, Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, ranked World No. 101, was granted direct entry into the main draw. Meanwhile, 26-year-old Russian Ekaterina Makarova, ranked World No. 230, was accepted into the qualifying rounds of the Grand Slam.

"Credit to Naomi for withdrawing before qualifying began, which allows another player the chance to compete at Australian Open and earn some much needed prize money. It will be #230 Ekaterina Makarova (a new one born in 1996) who gets in and earns at least $26,000," Ben Rothenberg tweeted on Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal.

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"If her priority is tennis, then step back a little bit" - Martina Navratilova on Naomi Osaka’s absence from the sport

Naomi Osaka's best result of 2022 was being the runner-up at the Miami Open

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova recently touched upon Naomi Osaka’s absence from the sport in recent months. The four-time Grand Slam champion played a mere 11 tournaments in 2022, bearing forgettable results. The 25-year-old was, however, the highest-earning female athlete in the world, owing to her off-court ventures and collaborations.

In an interview with the WTA, Navratilova expressed concerns about Osaka’s off-court duties, claiming that they were highly demanding, leading to her poor form on the court. She further stated that the former World No. 1 would score fruitful results in the sport if she took a step back from her other endeavors.

"With her, it seems to be the forces outside tennis are affecting her more than anything else. It’s baked in. How she’s set up her life with all those outside interests and influences and demands on her time greater than anybody else," Martina Navratilova said.

"If her priority is tennis, then step back a little bit. You don’t have to do it all. It has to suck your energy away from tennis. I’m all for broadening your horizons -- I was never a one-trick pony -- but tennis came first. It doesn’t mean training harder, necessarily, but maybe sometimes doing nothing at all. Put your feet up or go to the beach," she added.