© Getty Images Sport – Graham Denholm
Naomi Osaka won’t be making her Dubai return this year after all as the Japanese and defending Dubai champion Barbora Krejcikova have both withdrawn from the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
This week, the Dubai organizers announced that 26-year-old Osaka would play in their tournament for the first time since 2019. But Osaka – who made her post-pregnancy comeback at the start of this season – decided to withdraw from Dubai after winning her Doha round-of-16 match on Wednesday.
Osaka, who competed in Abu Dhabi last week before winning her opening three matches in Doha, presumably thinks competing for a third week straight after a deep Doha run would be too much. Before launching her comeback, Osaka was out for 16 months and the Japanese is now likely thinking long-term and not wanting to overdo early in her return.
On the other side, Krejcikova – who skipped this week’s WTA 1000 event in Doha due to a back injury – will also be missing Dubai, where she won the title last year after upsetting Iga Swiatek in the final.
“We regret to inform you that Barbora Krejcikova and Naomi Osaka have pulled out of this year’s tournament. We wish both…
