Naomi Osaka appears to be playing the best clay tennis of her career, and she acknowledges the influence of tennis icons like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Rafael Nadal in her recent improvements.
Before the Italian Open in Rome, Osaka had a 1-2 record on clay this spring. However, since the start of the tournament, she has improved her clay record to 4-2 and achieved a significant milestone by defeating top-20 players on the surface for the first time. In the second round in Rome, Osaka beat world No. 20 Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-2. She followed this up two days later by defeating 11th-ranked Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3.
When asked about the connection between her recent success and her time away from the game, Osaka acknowledged the hard work she has put in over the past few months and the positive impact of watching a lot of tennis. “It’s not unprecedented (smiling). I’m very grateful to be back. I’m very grateful to be healthy because I know how much hard work it took for me to be here,” she said.
“Also I am just very inspired by the players that I’m watching now. I’m watching a lot of tennis. I wish with my whole heart to be where they are, so I’m doing whatever it takes. I don’t know. I feel like I’m just clawing my way back to hopefully where I think I belong.”
Osaka’s recent performances on clay indicate a significant step forward, and she remains determined to continue her progress and compete at the highest levels of the sport.
Naomi Osaka in 2024
LWWWLWLWLW At the moment ranked no.173, the Japanese played her last match on the 13th of May when she lost to world no.7 Qinwen Zheng 6-2 6-4 in the 4th round in Rome (draw).
This year Naomi has managed to achieve a compiled 12-9 win-loss record.
Naomi Osaka |
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