Naomi Osaka out of WTA Finals due to injury; replacement announced

Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the  2019 Shiseido WTA Finals Shiseido Shenzhen after an injury to her right shoulder. Osaka was scheduled to play world number one Ashleigh Barty. She will be replaced by World number 10 Kiki Bertens in the Red Group. 

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Statement

In a statement, Osaka said, " I’m disappointed to have to withdraw from the Finals. It has been a great event in Shenzhen, and it’s the biggest WTA event of the year. This is not how I wanted to end this tournament or my season. I look forward to getting healthy and hope to be back here in Shenzhen next year." Osaka will sit out for the rest of the season as well. This is the second consecutive year that Osaka has had to withdraw from the year-end tournament of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Last year, a hamstring injury meant that the Japanese international had to withdraw from the tournament. 

She had been suffering from an injury for a while and had told the media that she hoped to recover well before the tournament. She did the play and win the first round of the tournament, defeating Petra Kvitova 7(7)-6(1), 4-6, 6-4. However, just a few hours before the match against Barty, she announced her withdrawal. 

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Earlier while speaking to the media she said, "I injured my shoulder like five years ago or something, but not, like, heavy," Osaka said. "It was in Thailand when I was like 17 or something. It wasn't that big of a deal. I just had to rest it. I'm hoping it's more like that. It doesn't feel like it's anything more serious than muscular. I think if it was like bone-related then I wouldn't be able to lift it, but I am able to do that. It's just a little bit painful. Definitely I don't think it's something that I would immediately need surgery for. I've never gotten surgery, so I feel like I'm very lucky on that. I'm not really hoping that will change any time soon."

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In the tournament, the WTA's elite eight players were split into two groups - Red and Purple. The players in the group will face off each other before progressing to compete against the player from the other group.

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