WATCH: Naomi Osaka supports Daria Saville after Aussie retires from Tokyo clash

WATCH: Osaka's first match since the US Open ended abruptly when Saville injured her left knee.

Naomi Osaka recorded a heartwarming message of support for friend and rival Daria Saville after the Aussie was forced to retire from their Toray Pan Pacific Open first round on Tuesday.

“I just want to let you know you’re one of the funniest people on the tour and I still remember all the nice things you said to me at the French this year,” Osaka said. “I want you to know I’m wishing you the best.”

The 28-year-old incurred a worrying left knee injury just one game into the match. Osaka tended to Saville in the moments following the injury, but the former world No. 45 opted not to further push it given her history with ACL issues. The two later embraced at net.

Popular with fans both on court and thanks to her viral Tik Tok account, Saville has been snakebitten by injuries throughout her career—missing much of 2021 after undergoing surgery on her Achilles tendon. She nonetheless rebounded in 2022, playing impressive tennis this season to score a pair of Top 10 victories and return to the Top 50.

She later took to Twitter to address concerns and update fans on her injury, revealing that she had indeed torn her ACL for a second time.

Unseeded at her home tournament, Osaka, a former world No. 1, will next face No. 5 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia for a spot in the quarterfinals.