Chris Evert heartbroken for Naomi Osaka after Australian Open withdrawal, says she misses her "tennis" and "kindness"
Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the 2023 Australian Open has left tennis fans around the world heartbroken, and Chris Evert is no exception. The former World No. 1 misses not only Osaka's tennis and talent, but also the kindness she embodies off the court.
The four-time Grand Slam champion was last seen in action at the Tokyo Open last year, where she had to withdraw in the second round due to injury. The Japanese has since gone missing on the court, leaving fans confounded as to what her tennis future could look like.
With many eager to see Osaka return to the fore at the Australian Open next week, disaster arrived in the form of a social media update, where it was confirmed by tournament officials that the two-time winner had indeed pulled out of the Melbourne Major.
Chris Evert took to Twitter to express her sadness, writing:
"Miss you, Naomi Osaka, your talent, your tennis, your kindness," Evert wrote, along with a heart emoji.
Miss you, @naomiosaka , your talent, your tennis, your kindness…❤️
Naomi Osaka missing her first Grand Slam on hardcourts since 2016
Since making her Australian Open debut in 2016, Naomi Osaka had played every single hardcourt Grand Slam until the 2022 US Open, meaning that the 2023 edition of the Melbourne Major is the first Slam she is missing on her favorite surface in eight years.
The Japanese has managed to win four of those 14 Grand Slams, winning the Australian Open and the US Open twice each. 2022 was the first year she finished without winning a Major since 2018, having won one each every year for four years on the trot.
This year, the timing of Osaka's return will be interesting to watch, considering that both clay and grass are surfaces she doesn't relish playing on. At the French Open, the former World No. 1 has only reached as far as the third round in six attempts -- getting ousted in her opener last year.
Wimbledon, meanwhile, has hosted the 24-year-old only thrice so far, and not since 2020. Osaka reached the third round in her first two attempts but fell in the very first round in 2019.
Naomi Osaka will also be losing a big chunk of points by skipping the 2023 season until the Australian Open at least, having reached the third round there and the semifinals of the preceding Melbourne Summer Set. At the US Open, meanwhile, Osaka exited in the first round once again, losing to Danielle Collins.