Naomi Osaka is no longer in the running to defend her four-time Australian Open title after suffering a major upset Friday (January 21).
The 24-year-old tennis champion was knocked out of the tournament after Amanda Anisimova, a 20-year-old American ranked 60th in the world, won two out of three sets, knocking Osaka out before she could get to a highly-anticipated fourth round contest against top-ranked Ash Barty.
"I knew I had to be playing sharp if I wanted to give myself a chance," Anisimova said, per NBC News. Anisimova lost the first set to Osaka in a 4-6 game, but came back with a more aggressive approach to clutch the second and third sets at 6-3 and 7-6, respectively.
Osaka won the Australian Open in 2021 –– her second at Melbourne Park in three years. Shortly after, Osaka withdrew from the French Open in the second round and opted out of Wimbledon while she focused on her mental health.
She suffered a third-round loss at the US Open and took an extended break to recharge before entering this year's Australian Open.
The 2022 Australian Open will continue for another week, wrapping up on January 30.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.