Why did Naomi Osaka withdraw from Wimbledon? The tennis star is still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury

Naomi Osaka has officially withdrawn from Wimbledon after expressing doubts last month about playing in the tournament due to lack of ranking points.

Although she said ranking points would be a factor in her decision, they were not the main factor; Osaka is still recovering from a left Achilles injury.

Osaka announced the news via Twitter on Saturday:

my Achilles still isn’t right so I’ll see you next time 🥹🌱👋🏾 pic.twitter.com/mryWdKnitN

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) June 18, 2022

Although she didn’t mention points in her explanation, Osaka had strong words about Wimbledon not being able to award ranking points due to its ban on Russian and Belarusian players.

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“I don’t know why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it’s more like an exhibition,” she said. “I know that’s not true, right? But my brain feels like that. Every time I think something looks like an exhibition, I just can’t go 100% . “

When did Naomi Osaka last perform?

Osaka is 57-17 in Grand Slam matches, but she hasn’t played since a 7-5, 6-3 first-round loss to Amanda Anisimova at Roland Garros on May 23.

Osaka hasn’t made a Grand Slam final since winning the 2021 Australian Open. This will be the second year in a row she will miss Wimbledon. Osaka took a mental health hiatus after the 2021 French Open which extended to the Championships.

How did Naomi Osaka get injured?

Osaka complained of tendonitis in her Achilles tendon, which she says kept her from returning to court.

Here I am running on an underwater treadmill because my Achilles is still stubborn 😬 I must be getting old or something. pic.twitter.com/vjEIvnxZxX

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) June 9, 2022

Osaka, 24, included some treatments she received on her Achilles.

What surface is Wimbledon played on?

A common criticism of Osaka is that she can only succeed on hard courts. His four Grand Slam titles are on hard courts (two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open). Wimbledon is played on grass.

Osaka wrote, “Here are my weed dreams” in her post.

Osaka has won 84% of its matches on hard courts and 57.5% of its matches on other surfaces.

Osaka was ranked 43rd in the world by the WTA as of June 13. This ranking won’t change after Wimbledon as points won’t be awarded, but it’s a steep drop from his No. 1 ranking at the start of 2019.