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Belinda Bencic Had Classy Gesture After Injured Naomi Osaka Retired From Australian Open

A lingering injury forced Osaka out of her third-round match on Friday.

Dan Lyons

Mar 31, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN)(R) shakes hands with Belinda Bencic (SUI)(L) after their women's singles semifinal in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
Mar 31, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Naomi Osaka (JPN)(R) shakes hands with Belinda Bencic (SUI)(L) after their women's singles semifinal in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Naomi Osaka's run to a third Australian Open title was cut short on Friday, as a lingering injury caused her to retire from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.

Osaka, whose last Grand Slam win came in Melbourne in 2021, hadn't reached the third round of a major since '22, taking time off for mental health as well as the birth of her daughter in '23.

A lingering abdominal injury first sidelined her in October at a Beijing tournament match against Coco Gauff. She reached the finals of the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month, but retired during her match against Clara Tauson.

Osaka says abdominal injuries are nothing new.

"I kind of have a history of it, since I was a teenager. At least once a year, I'd get an ab strain. For me, I want to say it's more the way my serve is—it's quite explosive," Osaka said, per ESPN. "Unfortunately, it carried on over to the beginning of this season."

Bencic had a classy message for her opponent after advancing, signing, "Get well soon mama" with a heart on the camera.

Osaka's injury flared up during the second round win over Karolina Muchova, but she still pressed on to attempt to advance in the tournament.

"It was, I guess, a little inevitable, but I think the competitor in me just wanted to see it through to the end," Osaka said.

Her goal now is to recover in time for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March.

Meanwhile, Bencic advances to face Gauff, who defeated Leylah Fernandez in straight sets on Friday, in the fourth round.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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