BAD HOMBURG, Germany — Naomi Osaka’s preparations for Wimbledon hit an unexpected snag Saturday when she retired at the start of the second set of the Bad Homburg final because of a foot injury, handing the title to Karolina Muchova just two days before the year’s third Grand Slam begins.

The fourth-seeded Japanese star, competing in the first grass-court final of her career, was trailing 6-1, 1-0 to Muchova of the Czech Republic when she pulled out of the match. Osaka had taken a medical timeout in the first set before ultimately deciding she could not continue.

A dominant start for Muchova

The match never got off to a competitive start for Osaka. Muchova broke serve in the opening game and followed it with an imperious hold to love, quickly building a commanding lead. The Czech player dominated from the opening game with aggressive, varied tennis, mixing in drop shots and frequent approaches to the net that neutralized Osaka’s game throughout the first set, which Muchova closed out 6-1.

Concern over Osaka’s physical condition surfaced midway through that opening set, when she called for a medical timeout to have her right foot examined. According to a match tracker following the contest, Osaka had the medical timeout at 0-3 in the first set for the right foot issue before electing to continue play. She pushed through the remainder of the set and even briefly threatened on her own serve, but was unable to find any break points against Muchova, who closed out the set without facing one herself.

The injury proves too much to play through

Whatever progress Osaka made in fighting through the discomfort in the first set did not last into the second. After dropping the opening game of the second set to fall behind 1-0, Osaka signaled to the chair umpire that she could not continue, then walked to the net to shake hands with Muchova before doing the same with the umpire, officially ending the match in retirement.

The 28-year-old Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was filling out what had otherwise been one of the most encouraging weeks of grass-court tennis of her career heading into Saturday’s final, including reaching the first grass-court championship match of her career.

Osaka addresses the crowd

Despite the disappointing finish, Osaka took the microphone during the trophy ceremony to thank the crowd that had supported her throughout the tournament. “I just want to say thank you to everyone who came to watch the match,” Osaka told the crowd. “I apologize for not being able to finish, but this atmosphere was incredible the whole week.”

A breakthrough title for Muchova

For Muchova, the win secured the third WTA singles title of her career and her second trophy of the 2026 season, following an earlier title run in Doha. The 29-year-old former world No. 1, who has battled significant injury setbacks at various points in her career, has now positioned herself as one of the form players heading into Wimbledon. She was a quarterfinalist at the All England Club in both 2019 and 2021, giving her a track record on grass that should serve her well as the tournament gets underway.

Even with the abrupt ending, Muchova’s level throughout the week and particularly in Saturday’s final left a strong impression. Her performance in the opening set, in particular, was regarded as close to flawless, with her variety and net play giving Osaka few openings before the injury ultimately ended the contest.

What it means for Osaka’s Wimbledon run

The retirement adds a layer of uncertainty to Osaka’s outlook heading into the year’s third major. A four-time Grand Slam champion across the Australian Open and U.S. Open, Osaka has never advanced beyond the third round at Wimbledon in her career, making her recent run of form on grass — a surface that has historically given her trouble — all the more notable before Saturday’s injury scare.

Osaka is seeded No. 14 for the tournament and is scheduled to open her Wimbledon campaign against Elsa Jacquemot in the first round. Wimbledon begins Monday, leaving Osaka a short turnaround to assess the injury and determine whether she will be fit to compete.

This is not the first time a similar injury situation has disrupted an Osaka final appearance just before a major tournament. In a similar instance last year, Osaka was forced to retire from the final of the ASB Classic, a tuneup event for the Australian Open, while up a set, due to a rib injury. In that instance, a full week between the warmup event and the start of the Australian Open allowed her to recover in time to compete, eventually advancing to the third round in Melbourne. Whether a similar recovery timeline will be possible this time, with only two days separating Saturday’s retirement from the start of Wimbledon, remains to be seen.

A tournament that still showcased Osaka’s progress

Even with the disappointing conclusion, Osaka’s run through the draw in Bad Homburg represented a meaningful step forward in her ongoing effort to find her footing on grass courts since returning to the tour in 2024 following an extended absence. Her victory over Wang Xinyu in the semifinals had already marked the first time she advanced to a grass-court final in her career, and her run through the tournament featured some of the most dominant serving performances of her comeback to date.

For now, attention shifts to whether Osaka’s right foot will allow her to take the court as scheduled against Jacquemot when Wimbledon begins Monday, with her promising form on grass this week offering reason for optimism even as the injury introduces fresh uncertainty into her plans at the All England Club.