What happened to Naomi Osaka? All you need to know about Japanese's Australian Open 2025 injury retirement

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has crashed out of the 2025 tournament after taking ill during her third-round match. The former World No. 1 had led 5-2 in the first set of her match with Belinda Bencic, before abdominal pains forced her retirement in the second set.

At the 5-2 changeover, the 27-year-old called for the physio and showed obvious signs of distress. She continued but it became obvious she was altering her service motion to account for the pain in her midriff. Bencic broke and then held serve, prompting Osaka to take a medical timeout.

She still managed to win one more game before giving up the set on a tie-break 7-6 (3), after which she took herself out of the game.

Afterward, Swiss player Bencic was suitably gracious to her stricken opponent, and scribbled "Get Well soon, mama" on the court-side camera, before lauding Osaka's efforts:

"At this moment, I really feel for Naomi. I saw her struggling a bit at the end of the set. It's not the way you'd like the match to end. It was a good match. Hopefully she'll be fine soon and can play well for the rest of the season."

Osaka is no stranger to injury - she ended her 2024 season early in October due to a back injury, and pulled out in the middle of the final of the ASB Classic against Clara Tauson earlier this month, again citing abdomen issues. After undergoing an MRI scan she declared herself fit for the Australian Open, but that now appears to have been too optimistic.

Naomi Osaka is now ranked No. 50 in the WTA rankings due to injury and time away from the game

2025 Australian Open - Day 6 - Source: Getty

The four-time major winner and 2019 and 2021 Melbourne titleist took 2023 off from tennis to have a baby and returned in 2024 to mixed success, which is reflected in her current WTA world ranking of No. 50. Her Major performances last year were less than stellar, losing in the first round in Melbourne, and only managing three second-round appearances in the other majors.

Meanwhile, Belinda Bencic, who also took time out of the game in 2024 to start a family, will next play former US Open champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round. On Friday, Gauff comfortably defeated ex-US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-2 at the Margaret Court Arena.

Bencic has never gone beyond the second round at Melbourne Park before and will be a significant underdog to the high-flying Gauff.