Post-Canadian Open Withdrawals
Just around twelve hours after an intense Canadian Open final in Montreal, both Naomi Osaka and Victoria Mboko confirmed they would not be participating in the upcoming Cincinnati Open, a major event leading up to the US Open. But why did they do so?
Victoria Mboko’s Injury Update
Mboko, the 18-year-old Canadian, has been the talk of the tennis world this week. She entered Montreal as a wild-card entry ranked outside the top 80 and ended up defeating former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the final. Mboko withdrew from the Cincinnati Open immediately after lifting the trophy due to a wrist injury she had sustained in the semi-final match against Elena Rybakina. She bravely played the final with a wrist brace, defeating Osaka to claim the championship.
“I’m not planning to play in Cincinnati right now. My wrist needs time to heal, and it’s too soon to compete again after just a couple of days,” Mboko explained in her post-match press conference.
Naomi Osaka’s Recovery Plans
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, will also skip Cincinnati. After reaching her first tournament final since 2022 in Montreal, she plans to take time off to recharge ahead of the US Open, which begins on August 24. Osaka is also hoping to receive a wild card to compete in the mixed doubles event at the US Open.
Impact of Tournament Scheduling
This year’s scheduling has been complicated by both the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens expanding to 12 days instead of the usual one week. This led to overlaps where late rounds in Toronto and Montreal were happening after the qualifying and early rounds started in Cincinnati, forcing players to choose between events.
Changes to the Cincinnati Open Draw
Osaka and Mboko were originally set to receive byes into the second round of Cincinnati due to their performances in Montreal. Osaka was set to face No. 20 seed Linda Nosková, and Mboko was to meet No. 14 seed Diana Shnaider. Their withdrawals have caused the tournament draw to be adjusted.
Taking their spots, four lucky losers — Iva Jović (USA) vs. Solana Sierra (Argentina), and Cristina Bucşa (Spain) vs. Yuan Yue (China) — will compete in first-round matches to fill the vacant spots.
Looking Ahead to the US Open
With the US Open fast approaching, both players are prioritising their health and preparation for the season’s final Grand Slam.
Read more updates related to Women’s Tennis here.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
