Naomi Osaka withdraws from Australian Open

By The Associated Press

FILE - Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns the ball against Sara Sorribes Tormo, of Spain, during their match at the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 1, 2022. The bankruptcy of FTX and the arrest of its founder and former CEO are raising new questions about the role celebrity athletes such as Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Osaka and others played in lending legitimacy to the largely unregulated landscape of crypto, while also reframing the conversation about just how costly blind loyalty to favorite players or teams can be for the average fan. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Manu Fernandez]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has confirmed she will not play at the Australian Open, adding her name to a growing list of notable withdrawals. Organizers confirmed in a tweet that Japan’s Osaka will not be playing in Melbourne. Osaka was the Australian Open champion in 2019 and 2021. Osaka’s ranking has slipped to 47 and she hasn’t played since September after withdrawing during the second round in Tokyo.