By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday January 17, 2025
An abdominal forced Naomi Osaka to pull the plug after one set against Belinda Bencic on Day 6.
Photo Source: TTV
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was forced to retire due to injury after one set on Friday, sending Belinda Bencic into the round of 16 with a 7-6(3) RET victory.

Osaka, carrying an abdominal issue that forced her out of the Auckland final against Clara Tauson 11 days ago, began to visibly suffer from the injury during the first set, and couldn’t get proper liftoff on her serve.
"It was a little hectic trying to manage it, because obviously my draw was quite tough," Osaka told reporters in a post-match press conference. "But we were also doing everything we could, like I was going to therapy every day and stuff like that into the night. So the days have been very long for me. Obviously after my last match it got way worse."
She battled valiantly, exchanging lasers with Bencic from the baseline as the set wore on, but elected to call it quits after she dropped a first set tiebreak.
"At this moment, I just feel for Naomi. I saw her struggling a little bit in the end of the set," Bencic said on court after the match's conclusion. "Obviously it's not the way you would like that match to end."
Bencic improves to 4-2 lifetime against Osaka in this their first meeting since both have become mothers. Osaka gave birth to her daughter Shai in 2023, while Bencic gave birth to baby Bella last April.
Osaka can take solace from the fact that she reached the third round at a major for the first time since her comeback commenced. She earned impressive wins over Caroline Garcia and Karolina Muchova earlier in the week.
She says she takes some positives from her early season performance, but the injury makes it all bittersweet.
"I also feel like the positives is why I'm negative, because I feel like if I could have served, then I could have potentially won, and I could have maybe gone far in the tournament," she said.
Bencic, who is playing her first major after starting her comeback last November, will face either Coco Gauff or Leylah Fernandez in the fourth round. 294th-ranked Bencic is into the round of 16 in Melbourne for the third time (also 2016 and 2023).