Belinda Bencic returned to the Round of 16 at the Australian Open after Naomi Osaka was forced to retire with an injury in the third round.

Swiss Belinda Bencic advanced to the last 16 of the Australian Open after two-time champion Naomi Osaka retired during Friday's third-round match with an abdominal strain that has affected her since the start of the season.

Naomi Osaka suffered a disappointing end to what has been an encouraging Australian Open, as she retired with an abdominal injury after losing the first set against Belinda Bencic.

A persistent abdominal injury started troubling Osaka during the first set of her match on Friday, with the 27-year-old calling for medical attention when up 6-5. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Naomi Osaka forced to retire hurt at Australian Open. She played on until the end of the first set tiebreaker, which Bencic won, before calling it quits.

A lingering abdominal injury first sidelined her in October at a Beijing tournament match against Coco Gauff. She reached the finals of the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month, but retired during her match against Clara Tauson. Osaka says abdominal injuries are nothing new.

Naomi Osaka withdrew from match against Belinda Bencic after her pain became unbearable in third round.On Friday at John Cain Arena, Melbourne the four-time Grand Slam champion was leading the opening set with 5-2 but started struggling

Sabalenka's fourth-round challenge will be the 14th seed Mirra Andreeva, who she leads 3-1 in head-to-head record. Andreeva secured her first win against Sabalenka at the French Open quarterfinals last year.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka stopped playing because of a strained abdominal muscle after dropping the opening set of her third-round match against Belinda Bencic.

"I've said this for years," Osaka said in Auckland, "I'm not the most talented player but ... It will be a battle of the moms in the third round as Osaka faces a returning Belinda Bencic, who is playing her first Grand Slam since giving birth to her ...

"I've said this for years," Osaka said in Auckland, as quoted from the official ... In the third round, Osaka will face Belinda Bencic, who is making her own return after giving birth to her ...

defeating Leyre Romero Gormaz in Auckland for her first tour-level win since Cleveland 2023. The Austrian has been on the comeback trail from a wrist injury since March 2024. Belinda Bencic, +68 to No.421: Former Olympic gold medallist Bencic compiled a 1 ...