Naomi Osaka has faced challenges on clay courts throughout her career, yet this has not deterred the former world No.1 from pursuing ambitious objectives.
The Madrid Open on Wednesday marked a significant milestone for the four-time Grand Slam champion as she secured her first victory on clay in two years. In the first round, she triumphed over Greet Minnen with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Last season, Osaka refrained from participating in any clay tournaments due to her maternity leave. However, since her return to the Tour in January, the 26-year-old has displayed commendable performance, winning eight out of 15 matches. Her notable achievement thus far was reaching the quarter-finals in Doha. Osaka remains optimistic about her progress, expressing confidence in her current trajectory.
Following her win against Minnen, Osaka shared her excitement about successfully executing forehand slides and effectively countering her opponent’s drop shots. She also mentioned feeling more comfortable with her movement on the court.
Despite her numerous accomplishments, Osaka has yet to reach a WTA final on clay and has never advanced beyond the third round at the French Open. Her most recent semi-final appearance on clay dates back to 2019 at the Stuttgart Open.
While Osaka aims to adapt to the clay surface, she emphasizes the importance of maintaining her unique style of play. She acknowledges the need to respect the court while staying true to the foundations of her game. Osaka admits that her clay game is a work in progress but is actively studying and analyzing matches on clay to improve her performance.
This year, Osaka has an additional motivation to focus on her clay game, as the Olympic Games will be held at the same venue as the French Open. She considers the quadrennial event a significant goal for her career.
During this season, Osaka has already defeated two top 20 players, including Liudmila Samsonova, whom she will face again in the second round in Madrid. Despite her achievements, she remains hungry for more success. Osaka humorously commented that it would be ironic and amusing if her first tournament victory after her maternity leave were to occur on clay.
“I would like to win a tournament on clay, I would think it’s very ironic but also hilarious if my first tournament (win back from maternity leave) would be clay,” Osaka commented.
“For me, every tournament I play I want to win. I know that results so far haven’t shown that but I really think that something’s going to click eventually and when it does, I think I’ll be really good.
“But for right now, I’m just going to be as humble as I can. I’m happy to be in this tournament, I’m happy to be playing against the best players in the world and I learn from them every day.”
This year makes it Osaka’s sixth appearance in Madrid. Her best result so far was reaching the quarter-finals in 2019.