In a dramatic turn of events at the Auckland Classic, Denmark’s Clara Tauson clinched her third career WTA title after Naomi Osaka retired from the final due to an abdominal injury. The match, which took place on January 5, 2025, saw Osaka leading 6-4 in the opening set before calling for a medical timeout. Despite her best efforts to continue, Osaka had to withdraw, leaving Tauson as the victor.
Tauson, who had not won a title since 2021, expressed mixed emotions about her win. “I’m happy, but it’s weird,” she said in a post-match interview. “It’s not the way you want to win any match, especially not a final. I can’t help but feel sad for Naomi. She played incredibly well, and it’s unfortunate that she had to retire.”
Osaka, on the other hand, was visibly distraught as she left the court. “I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city,” she said. “I had a lot of fun playing here, and I’m really sorry about how it ended. I hope you enjoyed the tennis that we did play, and I’m just really grateful to be here.”
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions for both players. Osaka, who had been on a comeback trail after a long maternity break, showed glimpses of her former self, dominating the early stages of the match. Tauson, however, fought back and managed to level the score before Osaka’s injury forced her to retire.
Tauson’s victory is a testament to her resilience and determination. Despite the bittersweet nature of her win, she remains optimistic about her prospects in the upcoming Australian Open. “It’s definitely a nice start to the season with the title,” she said. “I’m looking forward to going to Australia and hopefully backing this up with some great results there.”
As Tauson prepares for the next challenge, the tennis world will be watching closely to see if she can build on this momentum and achieve even greater success.
Clara Tauson in 2025
Now the world no.50, Tauson played her last match on the 5th of January when she defeated Naomi Osaka 4-6 in the final in Auckland to win her 2nd career title.
At the moment, during this season Clara has achieved an overall 5-0 win-loss record. The Dane clinched 1 title in Auckland.
