It was precisely in Madrid two years ago that Osaka won on clay last time. Then the four-time Grand Slam winner beat Anastasia Potapova in the first round.
26-year-old Osaka has won her Grand Slams on hard courts, two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open but only reached the third round as the best at the French Open in Paris, the only Grand Slam tournament on clay.
Dropped to 197th in the ranking
– I embrace the surface and there is a beauty to it, Osaka says according to the WTA tour’s website.
She tries to take inspiration from the best players to improve on the surface that gave her problems earlier in her career.
– I don’t expect to be the same as Iga (Swiatek), but I want to use the capacity I have and become the best version of myself, says Osaka, who struggled with mental illness and for a while skipped press conferences and returned after being mother.
The Japanese has slipped down to 197th place in the ranking.