Australian Open: Bencic Moves to Round of 16 After Osaka's Injury Withdrawal
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Synopsis
In a dramatic turn at the Australian Open, Belinda Bencic reached the Round of 16 after Naomi Osaka retired due to injury. Bencic won the first set and expressed her support for Osaka before advancing in the tournament.
Key Takeaways
- Bencic progresses to Round of 16.
- Osaka retires due to injury.
- Bencic's first Grand Slam since giving birth.
- Bencic's heartfelt message to Osaka.
- Next match against Coco Gauff or Leylah Fernandez.
Melbourne, Jan 17 (NationPress) Belinda Bencic advanced to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open after former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka withdrew from their third-round match due to injury.
Bencic secured the first set 7-6 (3) before Osaka's retirement. This marks Bencic's first Grand Slam appearance since becoming a mother to her daughter Bella, and her first Round of 16 in a major tournament since the 2023 US Open.
Prior to leaving the court, Bencic expressed her support by signing the camera with a touching message: "Get well soon, Mama".
The 2016 Olympic champion is set to face either World No. 3 Coco Gauff or Leylah Fernandez in the fourth round, aiming for her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2021 US Open.
This match was their first encounter since the 2022 Miami Open, where Osaka initially took a 5-3 lead in the first set. However, she began to modify her service motion due to visible discomfort. Bencic managed to break back, hold serve, and then play a steady tiebreak, winning it 7-3 after 57 minutes.
Osaka, clearly in distress, walked to her seat before ultimately deciding to retire. The Japanese player had begun her 2025 season by reaching the final at the ASB Classic in Auckland but had to retire during that match due to an abdominal injury. This incident marks Osaka's third consecutive tournament retirement, following a back injury that curtailed her 2024 season at the China Open against Gauff.
Before the tournament commenced, Osaka had voiced her confidence in participating in the first-round match of the season-opening Grand Slam, despite the MRI results for her abdominal injury not being "fantastic."
"I’m normally a really honest person, but I probably won’t answer your question honestly. The MRI, it wasn’t fantastic, but it wasn’t bad at the same time. I’m pretty optimistic about playing my match. I mean, for sure I’m going to play my match, and I’ve been practicing pretty well for the two days that I’ve been here," Osaka commented prior to the start of the Australian Open.
