Naomi Osaka is enjoying a strong Italian Open, and people on X have given her a new nickname: 'Clayomi.'
The nickname is rather self-explanatory. It's a combination of clay, the surface she's playing on this week in Rome, and Naomi, her name. The Japanese player never played particularly well on clay because she never seemed to figure things out.
Playing on red clay is not that complicated; it just requires time and effort. However, players have to play a lot on it to become better, and she wasn't really keen on doing that early on in her career.
Funnily enough, she once made the quarter-final in Rome in 2019, and she is now one step away from doing the same thing. It seems that there is just something that works for her in Rome—maybe the food or maybe the fans.
Her fans, though, are quite dedicated, and they coined a new nickname, which she found quite funny when asked after her most recent win at the WTA 1000 tournament because she doesn't really think it's fitting.
Despite her solid performances this week in Rome and some impressive wins, such as the one over Daria Kasatkina, Osaka doesn't think her clay credentials warrant such a nickname.
"Please don't (laughter). Please. I think I need more clay credentials for that. But I'm happy that they're happy, so..."
While the nickname is funny, Osaka will want to prove herself more on the surface, so the nickname can become even more fitting. It certainly fits this week, but she will have to fight hard in the next match against Qinwen Zheng.
After recording her first-ever Top 20 win on clay earlier this week, she can now beat the first Top 10 player on the red dirt in her career.
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