Naomi Osaka refused to find excuses after losing her first match on clay this year, admitting that she needed to do better.
The former world no. 1 has never been considered a very good player on clay, mostly because she didn't play that much on the surface. For much of her career, Osaka focused mostly on hard courts, skipping over grass and clay quite often.
It's something she wants to change in the coming years, which her Rouen Open participation proves. She didn't have to play this week; in fact, many assumed she shouldn't, but she took a surprise wild card and traveled to play there.
It came after her solid outing in the Billie Jean King Cup in Tokyo, and it didn't go as well. She was beaten in two sets, admitting after the match that she gave her best, but it still wasn't enough to find a way to win at the WTA 250 event.
"It was really difficult for me... it was my second time hitting on this type of court. I think that overall I could have done better but I've tried my best."
It wasn't the best time for Osaka because she had a long flight before the event and had little time to hit the court. Still, she wouldn't use any of that as an excuse, stating that she must do better next week at the Madrid Open.
"I have never been the type to make excuses for myself, I just have to really do better. I think today, obviously, I didn't hit too many great shots and I could have done better. I'm kind of thinking I didn't do too bad but also I'm pretty hard on myself."
Her serve should power her to a few wins at the 2024 Madrid Open, which begins on April 24th, as the court is located at a high altitude, making it easier for big servers to win free points.
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