Osaka retired from the Bad Homburg final trailing 6-1, 1-0 to Karolina Muchova, casting doubt over her fitness heading into Monday’s Wimbledon opener.
Naomi Osaka arrived in Bad Homburg, Germany, having not dropped a single set through four matches. She left with a foot injury, a runner-up finish and a serious question mark hanging over her Wimbledon campaign.
The 28-year-old Japanese star withdrew from Saturday’s Bad Homburg Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic after just one game of the second set, trailing 6-1 and falling behind early in the second. It was Osaka’s first career grass-court final, and it ended before she had a chance to find her footing.
The withdrawal came after Osaka had already taken a medical timeout in the first set, signaling that something was wrong well before she officially conceded. She walked to the net, shook hands with Muchova and the chair umpire, and addressed the crowd during the trophy ceremony to apologize for not finishing and to thank them for the atmosphere throughout the week.
Osaka’s Wimbledon preparation takes a hit
The timing could hardly be worse. Wimbledon begins Monday, and Osaka is scheduled to open against Elsa Jacquemot in the first round. She enters the grass-court major seeded 14th, carrying the weight of an injury whose severity remains unclear.
This is not the first time Osaka has been forced to retire mid-match since returning to professional tennis following the birth of her daughter. In early 2025, she reached the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland, a warmup tournament ahead of the Australian Open, but had to withdraw while leading by a set due to a rib injury. She recovered in time to compete at the Australian Open that year, advancing to the third round.
Whether the turnaround is similar this time depends on how serious the foot problem proves to be. Osaka appeared to be in reasonable spirits after leaving the court, which observers noted as an encouraging sign, though it offers no guarantee about her condition heading into the week ahead.
All four of Osaka’s Grand Slam titles have come on hard courts, two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open. Wimbledon has historically been her most difficult surface, and she has never advanced beyond the third round there. A healthy version of Osaka would already be considered an underdog at the All England Club. An injured one faces a steeper path.
Muchova wins Bad Homburg title in dominant fashion
For Karolina Muchova, Today was a commanding afternoon. The 29-year-old Czech, ranked 11th in the world, lost just one game across the portion of the match that was completed, dispatching the first set 6-1 before Osaka withdrew one game into the second.
Muchova has dealt with significant injury problems of her own in recent years, which makes her current form all the more notable. The Bad Homburg title is her second of 2026, following an earlier victory in Qatar, and her third on the WTA Tour overall. She was a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in both 2019 and 2021 and arrives at the grass-court major in strong form and full health.
Her forehand was the dominant weapon Today, and Osaka found no consistent answer for it across the limited time they shared on court. Muchova collected 500 ranking points for the title and enters Wimbledon as one of the more dangerous players in the draw, particularly on a surface that suits her aggressive baseline game.
What comes next for Osaka
The days between now and Monday will tell the story. Osaka’s team has not commented publicly on the nature or severity of the foot injury, and it remains to be seen whether she will take the court against Jacquemot or withdraw from Wimbledon before the tournament begins.
Her week in Bad Homburg, injury aside, showed flashes of the level that made her one of the dominant players in the sport during her four Grand Slam-winning years. Going through the draw without dropping a set is the kind of form that breeds confidence. Whether she can carry any of it onto the grass at the All England Club, and whether her foot allows her to, are the two questions that will define the early days of her Wimbledon 2026.
