Naomi Osaka believes her retirement from the Australian Open was inevitable due to carrying an abdominal strain into the year's first major.
Champion at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021, Osaka called it quits at the end of the first set of her third-round clash with fellow tennis super-mum Belinda Bencic on Friday.
The 27-year-old also retired from the Auckland Open last week when she was a set up against Clara Tauson in her first WTA final in almost three years.
"It was a little hectic trying to manage it, because obviously my draw was quite tough," a disappointed, but positive Osaka said.
"We were doing everything we could, like I was going to therapy every day and stuff like that into the night.
"Obviously after my last match it got way worse.
"Credit to her (Karolina Muchova, in the second round) for being such a good opponent.
"A little inevitable (having to retire), but I think the competitor in me just wanted to see it through until the end.
Osaka called for medical attention when up 6-5 in the first set, but played on until the end of the tiebreaker, which Bencic won.
"I feel like if I could have served, then I could have potentially won, and I could have maybe gone far in the tournament," Osaka said.
Osaka shrugged off any suggestion the abdominal injury was related to giving birth to her daughter in July 2023.
"At least once a year I'd get an ab strain, and it's usually during Stuttgart," the four-time grand slam winner laughed.
"I want to say it's more like the way my serve is. Like, it's quite explosive.
It was a disappointing end after a rollercoaster first set between the four-time major winner and Bencic that included four breaks of serve.
"At this moment, I just feel for Naomi," Bencic said.
"I saw her struggling a bit at the end, and it's obviously not the way you want this match to end."
It has been a superb comeback from Bencic, who reached the fourth round in her first major appearance after giving birth last April.
The 27-year-old Swiss player is currently ranked 294, but that will skyrocket after this tournament.
Bencic will American superstar Coco Gauff in the round of 16 after the third seed ousted Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-2.
