Injuries Mount As Osaka, Serena, Kenin Struggle Ahead Of Aussie Open By Tristan LAVALETTE
02/06/21 AT 1:08 AM
World number three Naomi Osaka joined Serena Williams and Simona Halep with injury niggles ahead of the Australian Open Saturday as defending champion Sofia Kenin blamed her groin strain on spending two weeks in coronavirus quarantine.
The season s first Grand Slam has had an unusual build-up after the pandemic torpedoed much of last year s schedule and gave players only a week to play warm-up tournaments after their mandatory quarantine in Australia.
Japan s Osaka, the US Open champion and 2019 Australian Open winner, withdrew from her Gippsland Trophy semi-final against Elise Mertens, blaming a long-standing shoulder problem.