Naomi Osaka officially withdraws from the Billie Jean King Cup

On Tuesday morning, tournament organizers confirmed that Naomi Osaka had withdrawn from the final of the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup. The BJK Cup is the world’s largest annual international women’s team sports competition.

Although the WTA does not award points to participants or winners of the tournament, it does give players the opportunity to represent their country. It would have given Osaka another chance to draw attention to her home country Japan.

The disappointing news comes as Osaka missed most of the Asian swing of the WTA schedule. Her match against Coco Gauff was cut short due to a back injury. In a show of good sportsmanship, Gauff helped Osaka carry her bags off the field.

Earlier this month, Osaka told reporters that she had undergone an MRI in Beijing, and the results showed a bulging disc and torn abdominal muscles. She added: “I have played so many tournaments this year, so it was the hardest decision not to play this and not to play against BJK.”

The 27-year-old made a huge comeback after missing time due to injuries and all of last season due to maternity leave. Osaka is currently ranked No. 59 in the WTA world with a 22-17 record and zero singles titles.

At the end of September, Osaka fired her coach, Wim Fissette. The two worked together for four years and won two Grand Slam titles. She soon hired Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mourtatoglu.

Additionally, Osaka continues to inspire as she promoted girls’ sports at a Nike event in Japan this month. Additionally, she made headlines for championing body positivity among mothers.

The four-time Grand Slam champion will begin preparation for the 2025 WTA season, starting with the Australian Open, which she won in 2019 and 2021. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated’s broadcasts Serve on SI for all the most important news from sports.