Naomi Osaka’s Wimbledon Plans Thrown Into Doubt After Concerning Injury Forces Bad Homburg Retirement

It was an exciting week in Bad Homburg for Naomi Osaka. Her first career grass-court final, her best result on the surface since Nottingham in 2018, and the kind of momentum that made her one of the more compelling names heading into Wimbledon. It finally came to an end in the second game of the second set when she walked to the net, spoke with her camp, and retired at 1-6, 0-1 down against Karolina Muchova. 

The right foot issue first came up at 3-0 in the first set, when Osaka called for a medical timeout, and after being treated for a long time on the court, she chose to continue. The outcome of the game was not affected by the decision to play on. By the time the first set concluded, Muchova had broken four times and conceded nothing on serve. 

The Czech was hitting forehand winners on either side of the court and was constantly changing pace with slices and drop shots, forcing Osaka to move laterally with a foot he couldn’t stretch. The numbers reflected it: Osaka’s first-serve win percentage, which had sat consistently around 80 percent across the week, dropped to 53 percent in the final. The four-time Grand Slam champion was not her best before the injury creased her, and she could not have been her best while managing it.  

Naomi Osaka retired at 1-6, 0-1 down vs Karolina Muchova at the Bad Homburg WTA 500 Final.

Had an MTO at 0-3 in set 1 for a right foot issue and didn’t continue. pic.twitter.com/e0Hkyh6ee6

— edgeAI (@edgeAIapp) June 27, 2026

After Muchova took the first game of the second set, Osaka chose not to continue, handing the Czech the Bad Homburg title. This was the correct thing to do, and Wimbledon is the obvious reason.

The main draw begins on Monday, one day away. Since the 2021 Australian Open, the Japanese pro has not secured a tour-level victory, and her appearance in the Bad Homburg final marked her first attempt on a natural surface in five years. The title went to Muchova instead, which is a footnote. The right foot, and what it means for the next fortnight at the All England Club, is the story.

This is a developing story…

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