The Columbus Dispatch

Osaka won't play at Wimbledon, citing her left Achilles tendon

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Naomi Osaka pulled out of Wimbledon on Saturday, citing a lingering problem with her left Achilles tendon and marking the second consecutiv­e year she's decided to sit out the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament.

The four-time major champion and former No. 1-ranked player posted a photo of herself on a grass court and wrote on Twitter: “my Achilles still isn't right so I'll see you next time.”

Osaka has not played an official match since losing in the first round of the French Open to Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-4 on May 24. During that match, for which she said she took a painkiller, Osaka tried to stretch her tendon by tugging on the toe of her shoe at changeover­s and squatting to flex her lower leg between points.

After that defeat, Osaka said she was leaning toward missing Wimbledon because the profession­al tennis tours aren't ranking points awarded – a response to the All England Club's decision to bar all players from Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.

“I'm not sure why, but I feel like if I play Wimbledon without points, it's more like an exhibition. I know this isn't true, right? But my brain just like feels that way. Whenever I think something is like an exhibition, I just can't go at it 100%,” Osaka said then. “I didn't even make my decision yet, but

I'm leaning more towards not playing, given the current circumstan­ces.”

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