Former world primary Naomi Osaka says she is just not at full well being following her straight-sets loss to Maria Sakkari on the United Cup.
Just over two weeks out from the Australian Open, Osaka was coughing at occasions throughout her 6-4, 6-2 defeat to world quantity 52 Sakkari in Perth on Friday evening.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, now ranked thirty sixth on the earth after a 2025 marketing campaign ruined by a again damage, wrapped up victory within the tie for Greece over Japan with a 6-3, 6-4 win in opposition to Shintaro Mochizuki.
Osaka lacked vitality at occasions in opposition to Sakkari, who has been ranked as excessive as quantity three on the earth.
Four-time main winner Osaka revealed she thinks she contracted a viral sickness from her daughter over Christmas.
“I have been dealing with some health stuff, so I’m kind of just happy to be out here right now,” Osaka stated.
“It’s not serious, but I’m not operating at the [performance level] that I want to be operating at, which kind of sucks because I had a really good off-season, so I thought I was going to do really well here.
“But then I bought actually sick, so I feel I’m on the tail finish of that, however nonetheless not superb.
“I’m simply making an attempt to get higher day-after-day.
“I had a cough, a runny nostril, like all that nasty stuff. Hopefully it goes away earlier than the Australian Open.”
Osaka struggled with her serve early, dishing out three double faults and a series of failed ball tosses on the way to losing her opening service game.
“I positively would not blame that on being sick, I used to be simply actually nervous, so my hand was shaking just a little bit,” Osaka said.
Despite the disappointing result, Osaka stayed on court after the match to sign autographs and take selfies with spectators.
In Friday’s earlier tie, Argentina beat Spain 3-0 on the back of singles wins to Sebastian Baez and Solana Sierra.
World number 66 Sierra beat Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 after Baez had defeated Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-4.
AAP