Tennis champion Naomi Osaka, ahead of the French Open, has withdrawn from the Italian Open in Rome due to an Achilles injury.
The four-time major champion said in a statement that the injury she picked up last week in Madrid “hasn’t healed yet”.
The Japanese player added that “It’s an Achilles injury so I need to be careful especially in advance of Roland Garros.
The professional tennis player is ranked number one by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles.
Ms Osaka, 24, is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and ranked 38th in the world.
Reports stated that the French open would kick off at Roland Garros on May 22, with Iga Świątek, last year’s reigning champion of Italian Open women’s editor.
