Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, and Simona Halep hit the practice courts at La Caja Magica ahead of the 2022 Madrid Open.
The WTA 1000 event in Madrid starts on April 28th, 2022, and players have been gathering in the Spanish capital for a few days now. Osaka arrived early to get in some work in what will be a pivotal clay season for her.
The Japanese player admitted a few weeks ago that she is very determined to improve on clay, which is something she hasn't been committed to doing in the past. Osaka has a great game for clay, but her movement on the red dirt has never been very good due to a lack of familiarity.
Practicing early in Madrid should give her confidence ahead of her first-round matchup with one of the qualifiers, as conditions in the Spanish capital should also suit her because the high altitude makes the ball fly fast.
Ahead of the event, Raducanu joined her in preparation. The Brit played at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart last week and played really well, coming close to beating Iga Swiatek during the week.
The Brit is looking much more comfortable on clay than anticipated, but that's mainly thanks to her great movement. Confidence is key for Raducanu, who was quite impressed with La Caja Magica venue in Madrid.
She will kick off her campaign against Tereza Martincova, a player she played at the Billie Jean King Cup in Prague in her first professional clay match ever. She won that match in straight sets.
Another player who will have the attention of the media is Halep. The Romanian was spotted practicing with Patrick Mouratoglou for what will be their first event together.
Halep has tremendous memories of Madrid playing in four finals and winning twice. She played well last year as well but got upset by Elise Mertens.