World number three ranked Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Women's Tennis Association's WTA Finals in Shenzhen due to a shoulder injury.
Naomi Osaka decided to pull out from the WTA Finals because of a shoulder injury and will be replaced in the Red Group by alternate Kiki Bertens, ranked number 10 in the world.
The 22-year-old Japanese tennis player is slated to play world number one Ashleigh Barty on Tuesday after defeating Petra Kvitova in three sets in her opening match on Sunday. Osaka said: "I'm disappointed to have to withdraw. This is not how I wanted to end this tournament or my season. I look forward to getting healthy and hope to be back here in Shenzhen next year."
According to Osaka, she first felt the shoulder injury during her win in the China Open final against Barty on October 6. She mentioned that she only started serving again in the "last two days" before her match with Kvitova, which lasted two hours and 39 minutes.
She narrated: "I felt it immediately. When I woke up the day after [facing Kvitova], it was throbbing."
Prior to her withdrawal from the WTA Finals, Osaka had won 11 consecutive matches at the heels of winning back-to-back titles in Beijing and at the Pan Pacific Open. After defeating Barty at the China Open, she told the press: "For me, this was my goal. After I lost in the US Open -- I pretty much don't want to say I planned -- but I really meditated on it. It just feels like I accomplished what I set out to do."
The WTA Finals features  world's top eight players competing in two round-robin groups of four, with the winners and runners-up advancing to the semi-finals. The tournament also has a doubles event. The total prize fund for the tournament is at £10.8 million.
