Japan’s Naomi Osaka said she will skip next month’s Billie Jean King Cup finals in Spain as she recovers from injuries that have kept her out of key tournaments during the WTA’s Asian swing.
With that, Osaka’s season will come to a close as she looks to get healthy before next year’s Australian Open, where she is a two-time champion.
Osaka sustained a back injury during this month’s China Open before skipping the Japan Open and the Pan Pacific Open.
“I thought I strained my back, but I did an MRI in Beijing,” Kyodo News Agency quoted Osaka as telling reporters in Tokyo. “They said I bulged a disc in my back and I also ruptured abdominal muscles. I was practicing in Los Angeles in order to play here. I took another MRI and it said I still have tears.
“I’ve played so many tournaments this year, so it was the toughest decision to not play this and not play BJK.”
The former world No. 1 is currently ranked 56th after returning from a maternity break at the start of the season.
She recently began working with Serena Williams‘ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou after splitting with her longtime coach, Wim Fissette.
Reuters contributed to this report.