The four-time Grand Slam singles champion announced in Tokyo on Sunday that she has sustained a ruptured abdominal muscle.
“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 ruptured abdominal muscles,” Japan’s Kyodo News agency reported the 27-year-old as saying.
Osaka has been sidelined since her withdrawal from her last-16 match at the China Open against the eventual champion Coco Gauff earlier this month.
She withdrew from the Japan Open in Osaka and this week’s Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. On Monday, the organizers of the Hong Kong Tennis Open announced that Osaka’s season was over and that she would not participate in the tournament, which begins on October 28.
“Naomi Osaka has been forced to withdraw from competing at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2024 due to injury, in an unfortunate end to her tennis season in 2024,” said a statement on social media.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals would have been the final event on Osaka’s 2024 itinerary.
“I’ve played so many tournaments this year, so it was definitely the toughest decision to not play this and obviously not play BJK,” she said.
“I really honestly enjoyed it so much, and I think it helped with my development as a player.”
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals are scheduled to be held in Malaga, Spain, from November 13 to 20.
In April, Osaka played a crucial role in Japan's victory over Kazakhstan, securing their spot in the finals during her first Billie Jean King Cup appearance since 2020.
Her participation in the China Open marked her initial tournament under the guidance of Patrick Mouratoglou, the renowned French coach who previously worked with Serena Williams for many years.
Since her return to tennis in January, following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023, she has faced challenges in maintaining consistency.
Her most notable achievements as a new parent have been reaching the quarter-finals in two tournaments.