Hong Kong Tennis Open organisers on Monday said that four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is pulling out of this month's tournament due to injury, though the Japanese star will still meet fans in the SAR. The former world number one injured her back during the China Open earlier this month, and has since skipped multiple tournaments, including the Japan Open. “I love visiting the [SAR] 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," Osaka said in a statement through the Hong Kong China Tennis Association. "I am very much looking forward to meeting you all." The association expressed disappointment, but stressed that the event will still be highly competitive. Participating players include defending champion Leylah Fernandez, two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Simona Halep, as well as former US Open Champion Emma Raducanu. Qualifiers for the local tournament, a WTA250 series, are due to take place at Victoria Park on Saturday. (Additional reporting from Reuters)
