“I feel stronger,” says Naomi Osaka ahead of Madrid
Naomi Osaka took a break after Miami to prepare herself for the clay season as well as possible. She shared her thoughts ahead of the Madrid Open.
Naomi Osaka and Patrick Mouratoglou (@MouratoglouTennisAcademy)
Last time Naomi Osaka played on clay, she delivered one of the matches of 2024 in her loss against Iga Swiatek at Roland-Garros. Before that, she had played the fourth round in Rome. So, a year later, she’s back in Madrid, where she lost in the second round last year, with an ambitious mindset. Yet, the former world No.1 doesn’t want to look too much ahead, as she learned the hard way at the start of 2025 that something could always come and derail the path.
We caught up quickly with Osaka on Monday. Clay, working with Patrick Mouratoglou, getting used to being away from her daughter: The Japanese gave a glimpse into her mindset as she starts her clay journey. We all know it’s not her beloved hard court but she could really do well on that surface and maybe this year will be the year. As a wink from fate, Osaka will start her tournament in Madrid against Lucia Bronzetti in a repeat of their first round at Roland-Garros last year (6-1, 4-6, 7-5).
Was it always your plan not to play any events on clay before Madrid?
Naomi Osaka: Yes, with Patrick we were always planning to start in Madrid. It’s my first time, I guess, having that long of a training block on clay, but it was nice.
Physically, do you feel you’ve fully recovered from what happened at the start of the season?
Naomi Osaka: Yes, physically everything is fine and I’m really excited about it because I feel stronger and I feel like I’m able to play really long matches.
You’ve put a lot of work to come back at your best level and then you got injured at the start of the year. How does it feel to have to start again maybe too many times?
Naomi Osaka: Over my career I’ve kind of stopped and started a couple of times so it’s not new. Still, it is a little frustrating I think, especially Beijing and how I wanted to play the two tournaments in Japan after that and of course knowing that I could have won my first tournament back at the start of the year and potentially gone deep in Australia so that was sad. Still, I feel like there’s so many more opportunities throughout the year.
How do you feel your relationship with clay will be this year?
Naomi Osaka: I think I’m playing well on clay and obviously I have a really good memory from Roland-Garros last year so I’m hoping to just continue on that. Of course, I don’t want to put too much pressure, but I think I’m fit now so hopefully just grind it out if I have to.
Is this match against Iga Swiatek in Paris last year still something you can come back to when things are tough?
Naomi Osaka: I think it’s going to be helpful for me coming into this clay season just knowing that I could play like that on clay, and it is helpful in tough moments, yes, but I feel like I just want to keep playing matches like that and hopefully just make that a standard.
What would you say working with Patrick Mouratoglou has helped you with so far?
Naomi Osaka: I think he brings me a lot of confidence. I’m someone who can be a very shy and insecure, even if this one is a very tough word. It’s just that sometimes I downplay myself a lot. He’s a person who I would say builds me up and also makes me feel very certain obout the things that he’s telling me so there’s no doubt. I think for me it’s very necessary.
Has it gotten easier for you to spend so much time on Tour away from your daughter?
Naomi Osaka: I wouldn’t say it’s gotten easier because I feel like every day something new is happening with Shai and it makes me sad to miss it, but I would say I realise how important the time that I’m away from her is which is something I knew last year but that I’m fully realising now. I’m also just being very happy that there’s FaceTime.
