Naomi Osaka withdraws from Wimbledon, cites Achilles injury

June 18 (UPI) -- Four-time tennis grand slam champion and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka on Saturday withdrew from this month's Wimbledon Championships, citing a nagging Achilles injury.

"My Achilles still isn't right so I'll see you next time," she wrote in a Twitter post after appearing on the tournament's official withdraw list.

"Trying to find the positives in a negative situation so all love," she added in an Instagram post. "But there goes my grass dreams."

Speculation mounted that the 24-year-old Japanese national may not be healthy enough to compete last week after she posted a video of herself working out on an underwater treadmill in a bid to rehab her injury and commenting, "my Achilles is being stubborn still."

An ankle injury prompted Osaka to withdraw from the Italian Open last month. She later returned to action in the French Open but lost in the first round to 20-year-old Amanda Anisimova.

Now ranked No. 43 in the world, Osaka has reached the third round at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on two occasions in 2017 and 2018, but hasn't competed there since 2019.

She did not participate in last year's Wimbledon following her controversial withdrawal from the 2021 French Open, when she cited mental health concerns in refusing to speak to the media.