World No. 1 Naomi Osaka is a doubt for the French Open after withdrawing from her quarterfinal at the Italian Open with a hand injury.
Osaka had been due to take on Madrid Open champion Kiki Bertens in the quarterfinals in Rome, but a ‘pain’ to her right hand forced her withdrawal.
The injury comes just 10 days before the start of the French Open, with the opening round of the season’s second Grand Slam starting on May 27.
Rain washed out play in the Italian Open on Wednesday, forcing most of the field to play two games in one day yesterday with Osaka earning straight-sets victories against Dominika Cibulkova and Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Those victories had clinched Osaka the No. 1 seed for the French Open, but it remains to be seen whether the injury will impact her participation in Paris.
The US and Australian Open champion has looked in good form during the clay court season, but an abdominal injury at the Stuttgart Open three weeks ago forced her to withdraw ahead of her semifinal.
Bertens will automatically progress into the semifinals in Rome, where she will face either Johanna Konta or or Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday.