“I feel very sorry that I can’t compete today,” said Osaka, the four-times Grand Slam champion who won the last edition in her hometown of Osaka in 2019.
“It’s a huge honor to be able to play in the Pan Pacific in front of the amazing fans here in Japan, these are special moments for me and will always be, and I was hoping to play today, but my body wouldn’t allow it,” she added.
It was the latest blow for the 24-year-old after missing the entire grasscourt season with an Achilles tendon injury, and withdrew from the first round in Toronto with a back problem in preparation for the US Open.
Brazil’s Haddad Maya will meet fourth seed Veronica Kudermetova or Mexican qualifier Fernanda Contreras Gomez in the quarter-finals.
