Belinda Bencic (No. 294) will take on Naomi Osaka (No. 51) in the Round of 32 at the Australian Open on Thursday, January 16.Osaka secured a three-set victory over Karolina Muchova (1-6, 6-1, 6-3)

Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka has stopped playing because of an injury after dropping the opening set of her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.

Naomi Osaka ’s return to Grand Slam competition ended prematurely on Friday, as the two-time Australian Open champion was forced to retire from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic due to a strained abdominal muscle. Osaka had dropped the opening set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (3), before informing the chair umpire she could no longer continue.

Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff roll to Australian Open's 4th round. Naomi Osaka retires due to injury and Jessica Pegula was upset in the third round.

Naomi Osaka is back in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2022 and she got there with wins at the Australian Open over two women who blocked her path last year

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Swiss Belinda Bencic advanced to the last 16 of the Australian Open after two-time champion Naomi Osaka retired during Friday's third-round match with an abdominal strain that has affected her since the start of the season.

Naomi Osaka explained why she retired from her match at the Australian Open and how her abdominal injury keeps recurring.

A four-time Grand Slam champion, Osaka returned from maternity leave last year and lost in the first or second round of all four major tournaments. The 27-year-old Japan native has not won any event on the WTA Tour since capturing her second Australian Open title to start 2021.

After losing the first set 7-6 (3), two-time Australian Open champ Naomi Osaka retired from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic due to injury.

Naomi Osaka is out of the Australian Open after she was forced to retire injured from her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.

Naomi Osaka was forced to retire from her third round clash against Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open after losing the first set on a tiebreak at Melbourne Park.