Just days after winning the women’s U.S. Open championship, tennis star Naomi Osaka announced on her Twitter account Thursday, that she would not be participating in this year’s French Open citing a hamstring injury and the quick turn around. “Unfortunately I won’t be able to play the French Open this year,” she wrote on social media. “My hamstring is still sore so I won’t have enough time to prepare for the clay — these 2 tournaments came too close to each other for me this time. I wish the organizers and players all the best.”
While the tournament just lost a heavy-hitter, her reasoning is understandable. There is only about a two-week layoff between the end of the U.S. and the start of the French making it one of the quicker turnarounds for grand slam tournaments. It is unclear who benefits the most considering that Osaka has struggled on the clay courts in the past and it is assumed that multi-time French Open champ Serena Williams will be participating. The French Open is scheduled to start Sept. 27.
