Overview

• Osaka revealed blistered, cracked knuckles on her Instagram Story after her match, noting she cannot fully bend her left-hand fingers.
• The friction of clay courts has caused a cluster of open-wound blisters that first appeared during the Italian Open and persist on red clay.
• Hindered by her hand injuries, she lost to No. 10 seed Paula Badosa 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 in the French Open opener and paused her tearful press conference to compose herself.
• She signaled a potential tennis hiatus on social media, writing she was “sick of this,” but resumed training the next day due to anxiety over missing workouts.
• Balancing a professional comeback with new motherhood has added emotional strain to her recovery and performance challenges.