Naomi Osaka returned to clay for the first time since 2022, but she didn't win the match against Martina Trevisan at the 2024 Rouen Open.
Osaka took a wildcard entry into the Rouen Open, hoping to get some clay matches ahead of what will be a pivotal clay season for all players. Not only are there the regular WTA 1000 tournaments and the Roland Garros, but the Olympic Games are also played this year.
The Japanese player hoped to start her clay season early and get a lot of matches in because clay is not a surface she plays a lot on. On the surface, this was her first match since 2022, and it was pretty solid, but she couldn't overcome a player who played well and knew how to use the red dirt to her advantage much better.
Osaka was also in action in Japan at the Billie Jean King Cup a few days ago, so she arrived in Rouen quite late, giving herself only a few days of practice. The match started with an early break for Trevisan, but that wasn't a problem for Osaka, who would break back immediately.
After that, the Italian was able to survive some heavy pressure from Osaka, who was bombarding away from the baseline. Not using those chances bit her in the backside because Trevisan was ultimately able to win the first set with a late break of 6-4.
The second set was much easier for the former Roland Garro semi-finalist, who jumped out to an early lead and then added another break later on to close the second set out, winning it 6-2.
The final score was 6-4 6-2, which was an impressive win for Trevisan. On the other hand, Osaka struggled with the movement as she hadn't played on clay for a while, but her hitting was still pretty good.
She should be dangerous with a few more weeks on the surface, with her next tournament being the Madrid Open.
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