New York: Former world number one Naomi Osaka on Saturday announced her decision to withdraw from Western & Southern Open final due to a left hamstring injury.
With Osaka out of the race, Victoria Azarenka lifted the title. Osaka, who is set to face Japanese Misaki Doi in the first round of US Open on Monday night, said, "I'm sorry to have to withdraw today with an injury."
"I pulled my left hamstring yesterday in the second set tiebreak and it has not recovered overnight as I had hoped."
Osaka reached the finals of the Western and Southern Open after defeating Belgium's Elise Mertens in the last four to set a date with two-time Australian Open winner Azarenka, from Belarus, in the summit clash.
W & S Open is being played in the same New York Covid-19 quarantine bubble where the US Open is slated to be held.
Earlier, two-time Grand Slam champion Osaka had pulled out off the semi-final of W & S Open to protest against the racial injustice, echoing a move by the NBA Milwaukee Bucks in boycotting a playoff game for the same reason.
Osaka took a U-turn on her decision later after the Japanese's actions prompted the WTA and ATP to postpone all semi-final matches to Friday.
Speaking about the shooting of African-American Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin by a policeman, Osaka, who is from Haitian and Japanese heritage, said she was "sick to her stomach" and "exhausted" by repeated violence against blacks by US police.
"This has been an emotional week and I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support," Osaka added.
