Highest-paid female sportsperson Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the upcoming 2023 Australian Open tennis tournament.
The organizers have not given the main reason that led to the withdrawal of the Japanese sensation.
“Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023,” read a statement from the Australian Open.
Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska is set to replace the 25-year-old, who won the Australian Open title in 2019 and 2021.
She joins a long list of players who have confirmed their absence from the grand slam tennis tournament.
American star Venus Williams and the men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz are some of the other players, who will not grace the tournament. The duo pulled out of the event due to injury-related reasons.
The Australian Open is scheduled for Monday, January 16 to Sunday, January 29.
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Elsewhere, the United States first rising starlet Coco Gauff has added another Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title to her cabinet.
Gauff stunned her Spanish opponent Viktoria Masarova in straight sets (6-1, 6-1) in the one-sided final to emerge the winner.
"I am so thankful to win my 3rd @wta title and take a win at the first tournament of my 2023 season!
"Thank you @asbclassic for an amazing week. Most importantly thank you God for continuing to bless me in this life. I am so grateful for it all. Let’s keep going upwards," ended Gauff.
She won the coveted title without dropping a single set during the one-week tournament.
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