<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3DabQ0_0wGPf7n100" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3DabQ0_0wGPf7n100" width="1220" height="686" ><figcaption>(2024 Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will not participate in the Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) 2024 team tennis finals in Spain next month, citing back and abdominal injuries she suffered earlier in October.Osaka, currently ranked 58th in the world, was injured during her China Open round-of-16 match against Coco Gauff on 1 October, which eventually forced her to retire from the contest.On Friday (18 October) it was announced that Osaka had withdrawn from the Pan Pacific Open 2024 in Tokyo due to that same injury, and on Sunday evening (20 October) she revealed she would also not be able to represent Japan at the BJKC in Malaga due to lower back and abdominal problems."I've played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision to not play this and obviously not play BJK," Osaka told reporters in Tokyo. "I really honestly enjoyed it so much, and I think it helped with my development as a player."I thought I strained my back, but I did an MRI in Beijing, and they said that I bulged a disc in my back and I also raptured abdominal muscles," Osaka said."I was practicing in Los Angeles in order to play here, but then I took another MRI and it said that I still have tears."The final torchbearer for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 2021 will now likely target the Australian Open in January for her return to top level competitive tennis.</div></body>

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Naomi Osaka to miss Billie Jean King Cup finals due to injuries

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will not participate in the Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) 2024 team tennis finals in Spain next month, citing back and abdominal injuries she suffered earlier in October. Osaka, currently ranked 58th in the world, was injured during her China Open round-of-16 match against...