Naomi Osaka’s clay swing got off to a disappointing start when she lost her opening match at the Madrid Open. The former world No. 1 has made it clear that she wants to improve on natural surfaces this season, but Lucia Bronzetti dumped her out of this week’s WTA 1000 event.
Osaka took to social media to share her emotional reaction after the defeat. But she has now regrouped and decided to take drastic measures to get more matches on the clay, dropping down to the WTA 125 circuit for the first time in a decade.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has taken a late wildcard into next week’s L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo in France. Organisers confirmed the news via social media on Thursday.
The Saint-Malo tournament was previously an ITF event but was upgraded to WTA 125 status in 2021. The WTA 125 circuit sits below the regular WTA Tour events and is the equivalent of the ATP Challenger Tour.
Osaka has not competed in a WTA 125 tournament since November 2015, when she finished runner-up in Hua Hin, Thailand.
The decision to drop to the lower tier is a smart one for Osaka if she wants to play more clay matches. The Madrid Open is now a two-week event, meaning there are no WTA Tour-level competitions next week, and 125s are her only option.
The Japanese star also needs more match wins, regardless of surface. Since returning from a pregnancy break at the beginning of 2024, Osaka’s longest winning streak is four matches – she reached the Auckland final in January but retired injured in the final.
Victories are key to building Osaka’s confidence on the court, as she had a heartbreaking response to her three-set defeat in Madrid.
“I wouldn’t wish what goes on in my brain to my worst enemy,” she penned on Instagram Threads after her 6-4 2-6 6-4 loss to Bronzetti.
However, the four-time Grand Slam champion has already bounced back, sounding much more chipper in the caption of another Instagram post on Wednesday.
She wrote: “I lowkey have short term memory loss so I don’t stay discouraged for long- we woke up this morning, we’re blessed, we’re healthy and we’re happy.”
Before the Madrid Open, Osaka had not played a match since last month’s WTA 1000 in Miami, where she reached the fourth round.
She’s been hard at work with coach Patrick Mouratoglou on the clay courts in France. Although her efforts failed to pay off in Madrid, Osaka will have another chance to prove herself in Saint-Malo.
Even at her peak, the former world No. 1 always struggled on both clay and grass. But, earlier this year, she told CNN that she wanted to win the French Open and Wimbledon to complete the career Grand Slam. To do that, she’ll have to play more on the natural surfaces.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk