Naomi Osaka retires in second set of Bad Homburg final with foot injury

Naomi Osaka’s Wimbledon preparations received a setback when she retired at the start of the second set in Saturday’s Bad Homburg Open final because of a foot injury.

The fourth-seeded Japanese player, in her first grass-court final, was trailing 6-1, 1-0 to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic when she pulled out.

Osaka had taken a medical timeout in the first set. Then, after gesturing she could not continue, she walked over to shake hands with Muchova and the umpire.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone who came to watch the match,” Osaka told the crowd during the trophy ceremony. “I apologise for not being able to finish, but this atmosphere was incredible the whole week.”

A four-time Grand Slam champion, the 28-year-old Osaka has never been beyond the third round at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.

Seeded No. 14, she is scheduled to play Elsa Jacquemot in the first round.

It was 11th-ranked Muchova’s third career title from nine tour-level finals, and her first on grass.

The final was moved forward by two and a half hours to 11 a.m. local time (0900 GMT) to avoid the worst of the day’s heat as much of Europe endures often record-breaking temperatures.