Naomi Osaka apologised after a troublesome back injury forced her to withdraw from the Hong Kong Open and cut her comeback season short.
The four-time major champion was expected to feature in the final WTA 500 event of the year but has pulled out, still citing an injury she suffered in the China Open against Coco Gauff this month.
Osaka has posted a 22-17 record since returning from maternity leave, but her comeback campaign was confirmed to have hit an abrupt end on Monday.
"I'm really sorry that I have had to withdraw from competing at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open and the rest of this tennis season," said Osaka.
"I love visiting the tournament and, despite the obvious disappointment of not being able to play, I want to reassure all my wonderful Hong Kong fans that I will still be attending the event.
"I am very much looking forward to meeting you all.
"There is a wonderful line-up of world-class players coming to the tournament and I want to wish them all the best of luck in this exciting event."
Osaka racked up six victories over top-20 opponents this year, including her first win over a top-10 opponent in two years by beating Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the US Open.
Peter Johnston, the director of International Events at the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, offered his well-wishes to Osaka despite her withdrawal.
"We are obviously very disappointed that Naomi has had to withdraw from competing, and we sincerely hope that she makes a speedy recovery from her injuries," he said.
"We are nevertheless confident that we have a stellar field of world-class players to enthuse and excite Hong Kong tennis fans."
Musetti stuns Zverev with 'really big win' to reach Erste Bank Open semis
Lorenzo Musetti described his triumph over Alexander Zverev as "a pretty big win" as the Italian battled from the brink to advance to the Erste Bank Open semi-finals.
Musetti, who will now face Jack Draper in the final four, found himself 3-0 down in a second-set tie-break before roaring back to claim a 2-6, 6-5 (7-5) 6-4 victory.
In an absorbing clash with Zverev, who was the top seed in Vienna, Musetti showcased his class in the decider, ending the almost three-hour clash with a love service game.
The 22-year-old struck 35 winners and saved eight out of 12 break points he faced en route to earning the biggest hard-court win of his career against the 2021 Vienna champion.
“It didn’t start how we planned, I was struggling to find the right balance with my forehand and the variation of my backhand,” said Musetti.
“But I stayed there, even when he came back in the second, I saved a lot of break points at 5-5. It’s definitely a match that means a lot to me.
“It’s a pretty big win [in my career], because Sascha really loves to play here, on this court, in these conditions.
"But, after the first round, I was feeling in good shape and today I showed that.”
Djokovic withdraws from Paris Masters
Novak Djokovic has confirmed his withdrawal from next week's Paris Masters.
The 24-time major winner announced via his social media channels he will not be participating in the ATP Masters event at Paris-Bercy, where he is a seven-time champion.
Djokovic was a gold medal winner at the Paris Olympics in August, while he has already reached finals at Wimbledon and Shanghai this season, in which he has a 37-9 record.
The Serb featured in last week's inaugural 6 Kings Slam in Riyadh, where he finished in third place after defeating long-time rival Rafael Nadal.
"Unfortunately I won't be playing @rolexparismasters this year," he wrote on Instagram Stories.
"Sorry to everyone who was hoping to see me play there. Wishing all the players, sponsors, organisers and fans a great tournament. I have a lot of great memories winning seven titles there and hope to be back with you next year."
Raducanu 'doing what she can' to be fit for Billie Jean Cup
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open due to a foot injury as she races to be fit for the Billie Jean King Cup next month.
Raducanu has not played since retiring midway through her quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina in the Korea Open last month.
The Briton revealed she had sprained ligaments in her foot and has subsequently missed four tournaments, including the China and Wuhan Open.
Raducanu was targeting a return at next week's WTA 250 event in Hong Kong, but has pulled out of the event after confirming she would not be fit to feature.
"I'm sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week. Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit," she wrote on X.
"I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC [Billie Jean King Cup]."
But the world number 55's latest withdrawal has raised concerns about her chances of competing for Great Britain at the Billie Jean Cup.
Raducanu is in Great Britain's squad of five players for the competition, joining Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls.
Anne Keothavong's side take on Germany on November 15 in Spain, though Raducanu faces an uphill battle to be fit.
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