World number one Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the WTA tournament in Stuttgart due to an abdominal injury. The 21-year-old Japanese was scheduled to play a semi-final tie against Estonian eighth seed Anett Kontaveit on Saturday evening, but announced in the afternoon that she would be unable to play.
Osaka said that she had to roll out of bed on Saturday morning after picking up the injury during her quarter-final win over Donna Vekic on Friday. "I couldn't lift my upper body. I don't expect that I will be able to serve," she said. "It's an ab strain, something that I've had before. Thankfully, because I've had it so many times I am able to tell what it is and I know what to do."
"I never want to withdraw, especially in a semi-final, so I am sad," she said. Osaka said she had broken the news that she was in pain to her team after her dramatic comeback against Croatia's Vekic on Friday. "We were in the gym to cool down and they were all happy." she said.