Naomi Osaka pulls out of the Australian Open because of an injury.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka has pulled out due to injury from her third-round match at the Australian Open, just hours before it was set to take place.

Osaka, a two-time titleholder at Melbourne Park, did not specify the severity of her injuries but indicated they were incurred during her intense second-round victory over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

The 28-year-old briefly left the court during that match and subsequently took a medical timeout while leading 2-1 in the final set.

“I’ve had to make the tough choice to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” Osaka shared on social media on Saturday evening. “I was so eager to continue, and this journey meant a great deal to me, so having to stop here is heartbreaking, but I cannot risk causing any additional harm.

“Thank you for all the love and support. I am truly grateful for the warm embrace from everyone.”

Osaka was set to compete against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis at Rod Laver Arena following the match of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic against Botic Van De Zandschulp.

Source: espn.com