Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Monday pulled out of her home Japan Open next week because of an injury that caused her to retire from the China Open in Beijing.

“Due to injury, Naomi Osaka will not participate” in the WTA 250 tournament in the city of Osaka from October 14-20, the Japan Tennis Association said in a statement.

The 26-year-old former world number one looked in good touch as she recorded three wins at the China Open in Beijing last week.

But in her last-16 match, against eventual champion Coco Gauff, Osaka retired at the end of the second set because of a back injury.

“So I locked my back up during practice earlier and honestly wasn’t sure if I could even play but I just wanted to try,” she said on social media. “Unfortunately things just got progressively worse during the match.”

Osaka’s last WTA tournament appearance in her home country was a fleeting one, two years ago at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

She won a first-round match after one game when opponent Daria Saville retired.

Osaka then withdrew with abdominal pains before her second-round match.

It was her last tournament before taking leave to give birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023.

Osaka returned to the tour in January this year but has struggled to recapture the form that saw her win two Australian and two US Opens between 2018 and 2021.

Fede Valverde and Vinicius Junior strikes helped Real Madrid bounce back from their first defeat since January with a 2-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday in La Liga.

Los Blancos lost in the Champions League at Lille but are still unbeaten in the Spanish top flight and moved level with leaders Barcelona before the Catalans visit Alaves on Sunday.

Valverde’s deflected effort and a rocket from Vinicius allowed Madrid to put a four-point gap between them and their third-placed opponents, who battled well but came up fractionally short in the capital.

Madrid’s victory was marred by a late injury to defender Dani Carvajal, who had to be taken off on a stretcher.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti started Kylian Mbappe after the French striker had recovered from a thigh problem.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker could only appear from the bench in Madrid’s disappointing midweek display.

Mbappe, whom France have not selected for upcoming Nations League fixtures, was quiet at the Santiago Bernabeu as his team ground out victory with a determined, rather than inspiring, performance.

The forward sent an early volley off-target from Luka Modric’s corner.

Instead it was midfielder powerhouse Valverde who broke the deadlock after 14 minutes.

The Uruguayan’s drive from distance deflected off Villarreal playmaker Alex Baena and arced beyond the reach of goalkeeper Diego Conde.

The visitors, enjoying a strong start to the season under coach Marcelino Garcia Toral, came close when Nicolas Pepe’s header clipped the top of the crossbar. Then Thierno Barry headed over from close range.

Mbappe had one further chance, bursting into the area with his electric pace, but goalkeeper Conde managed to dispossess him with an outstretched leg.

Villarreal appealed for a penalty early in the second half when Aurelien Tchouameni, playing at centre-back, pulled down Barry, but the French striker was offside.

Baena hit the side-netting of Andriy Lunin’s goal with a free-kick, nearly catching out the Ukrainian goalkeeper standing in for the injured Thibaut Courtois.

Vinicius flashed a shot narrowly wide, before his strike partner Mbappe was replaced with 20 minutes to go by Rodrygo Goes.

Brazil striker Vinicius, who is hoping to win a first Ballon d’Or later in October, netted the second with a superb effort from outside the area, which ripped into the top corner.

In stoppage time, Spanish right-back Carvajal suffered an injury while attempting to clear the ball under pressure from Yeremy Pino.

Earlier nine-man Celta Vigo earned a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Las Palmas.

The Canary Islanders were unable to record their first win of the season even after Ilaix Moriba and Iago Aspas’s red cards for Celta, who climbed to ninth thanks to Borja Iglesias’ goal.

Osasuna moved into fifth with a 1-1 draw at Getafe, while Espanyol beat Mallorca 2-1 and Rayo Vallecano won at Valladolid by the same score.

Super Eagles caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen has revealed a 23-man squad ahead of Nigeria’s crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying doubleheader against the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

The list, released by the Nigeria Football Federation on Saturday, features some familiar faces, but key absences include Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen and Orlando Pirates defender Olisa Ndah, both ruled out due to injuries.

Osimhen, who has been in sensational form, suffered a muscle injury during Galatasaray’s Super Lig clash against Kasımpaşa on September 28.

The Turkish club confirmed that the 25-year-old striker sustained a strain in his upper left posterior muscle group, sidelining him for a few weeks.

Similarly, Ndah, who has been pivotal for Orlando Pirates, also misses out due to injury concerns.

Despite the notable omissions, Eguavoen’s squad includes seasoned campaigners like Captain William Troost-Ekong, Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi, and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi.

The team also welcomes back Chidera Ejuke, who returns to the Super Eagles fold for the first time since 2022 after a string of impressive performances at Sevilla.

The Super Eagles will first take on the Mediterranean Knights at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, October 11, before heading to Benghazi for the return leg at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium on Tuesday, October 15.

Both matches are critical as Nigeria looks to secure its place in the 2025 AFCON tournament.

Eguavoen has also called up in-form players like Ademola Lookman, currently plying his trade at Atalanta, and Moses Simon, who has been a key figure at FC Nantes.

Bright Osayi-Samuel of Fenerbahce makes his return after missing the last set of qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

With Osimhen out, much of the attacking burden will fall on Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest) and Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, both of whom have been in good form for their respective clubs.

Kelechi Iheanacho also makes the squad, alongside other midfield options like Lazio’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Augsburg’s Frank Onyeka.

All players are expected to report in Uyo by Monday, October 7, to begin preparations for the crucial fixtures.

Full Squad List:
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)

Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy)

Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia)

Defenders:
William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia)

Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey)

Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)

Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)

Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)

Benjamin Tanimu (Crawley Town, England)

Midfielders:
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England)

Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)

Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA)

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy)

Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany)

Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards:
Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)

Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain)

Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy)

Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain)

Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)

Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)

As the Super Eagles aim to maintain their unbeaten run in the qualifiers, all eyes will be on how Eguavoen manages the squad in the absence of key players like Osimhen and Ndah.

Nonetheless, the team remains strong and is expected to give a solid performance in both encounters.