Billy Jean King Cup
Osaka out for the season with back injury
Naomi Osaka’ s dream of playing for Japan at next month’s Billie Jean King Cup in Spain hit the buffers on Monday as the former No. 1 pulled out with a back injury.
Osaka, back on the circuit after motherhood, currently ranks 56th and played her last match when she retired hurt nearly three months ago against Coco Gauf in the Beijing fourth round.
The original back injury was diagnosed as more serious than originally thought when Osaka stopped play against Gauff on October 1.
The four-time Grand Slam champion will now end her season and skip the women’s international team tournament from November 16 in Malaga.
.“I’ve played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision to not play this and obviously not play BJK.”