Tennis: Injury-hit Osaka to miss Billie Jean King Cup finals

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka said Sunday she will skip the Billie Jean King Cup team tennis finals next month in Spain because of injuries.

In October, Osaka, currently ranked 58th, hurt her lower back and retired during her China Open round-of-16 match against Coco Gauff of the United States. She then withdrew from two tournaments in Japan, including the Pan Pacific Open, which begins Monday.

“I’ve played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision to not play this and obviously not play BJK,” Osaka told reporters in Tokyo. “I really honestly enjoyed it so much, and I think it helped with my development as a player.”

The 27-year-old revealed that she has also ruptured abdominal muscles.

“I thought I strained my back, but I did an MRI in Beijing, and they said that I bulged a disc in my back and I also raptured abdominal muscles,” Osaka said.

“I was practicing in Los Angeles in order to play here, but then I took another MRI and it said that I still have tears.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who recently teamed up with renowned French coach Patrick Mouratoglou, will next prepare for the Australian Open in January.