Former top-ranked player Naomi Osaka has reached a tournament quarter-final for the first time in nearly two years. The four-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the last eight of the Qatar Open after Lesia Tsurenko was forced to withdraw due to injury. It likely would have been a thrilling encounter, given that the 35-year-old Ukrainian was in peak form, having just dismantled fourth seed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-2. That win was particularly special for Tsurenko, marking her first victory over a top-10 opponent in five years.
Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka is into the quarter-finals of a tournament for the first time in nearly two years. Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka reached the last eight at the Qatar Open after her Ukrainian opponent Lesia Tsurenko withdrew before the match through injury. It would have been an exciting and thrilling round of 16 match if Tsurenko had been seen on the tennis court. The 35-year-old Ukrainian was in excellent form and knocked out fourth seed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-2 in her round of 32 match. Tsurenko clinched her first victory over a top-10 player in five years.
Prior to this, Osaka fought through a tight match against Petra Martic of Croatia, winning 6-3, 7-6 (11/9). The Japanese athlete only returned to the court last month, following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. This run in Doha represents Osaka's best form since she reached the final of the Miami Open in April 2022, where she was defeated by the world number one, Iga Swiatek.
The 26-year-old Osaka is now set to face Karolina Pliskova, who is playing exceptionally well, to fight for a semi-final berth. Pliskova, a former world number one from the Czech Republic, recently claimed her first WTA title in four years at the Transylvania Open after defeating Linda Noskova 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. In other news, Canada's Leylah Fernandez secured a 7-5, 6-3 win over Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen to reach the quarter-finals, while Marketa Vondrousova, the Wimbledon champion, was knocked out by Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a 7-5, 6-3 defeat.
Meanwhile, the legendary 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Qatar Open, explaining that his health isn't yet where it needs to be for competitive play. Taking to social media, Nadal expressed his disappointment, stating that he would have loved to return to Doha—a place where he has always felt immense support from the fans and organizers—especially to relive the memories of his iconic 2014 victory. Unfortunately, he admitted he is simply not physically ready to compete yet.
Nadal noted that his immediate priority is recovering in time for an exhibition in Las Vegas and the prestigious Indian Wells tournament. The Spaniard has hinted that this year could be the sunset of his professional career, with a primary focus on the French Open, the site of 14 of his 22 Major titles. At 37, Nadal is slated to play an exhibition match against fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz on March 3, before traveling to California for the hard-court event at Indian Wells.