Tokyo: Australian Open defending champion Naomi Osaka on Saturday (January 15) allayed fears about an abdominal injury that forced the Japanese former world number one to withdraw from a tune-up event last week.
Playing her first tournament in four months in Melbourne, the 24-year-old won three matches in the WTA 250 event but then withdrew ahead of her semi-final, raising doubts about her preparations for her title defence at Melbourne Park.
“I heal quite fast,” Osaka told reporters with a smile. “I’m as good as I can be in this current moment. But I also think athletes, we have niggles all the time. It’s kind of impossible to play a Slam without feeling something. I’m just aware of that and I’m aware that you can’t be perfect all the time.” she added.
