Naomi Osaka’s Rome Revival: From WTA 125 Success to Clay-Court Glory
In a stunning turn of events, Naomi Osaka has found herself on a six-match winning streak on the clay courts of Rome, a surface she has long regarded with suspicion. The Japanese tennis star’s recent success is a far cry from her struggles in the past, and it’s all thanks to a bold decision to drop down to a WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo, France, last week. According to WTA Tennis, Osaka’s decision to compete at the lower tier paid off, as she claimed the L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo trophy, her first clay-court title at any level.
The 2024 film “Challengers” explores the complexities of competing at a lower tier, raising questions about ego, pressure, and expectations. However, Osaka seems to have taken it all in stride, telling the press, “I didn’t really have too much of an ego playing that tournament… I just wanted to focus on the tennis. I wanted to rack up experience on clay.” As WTA Tennis reports, Osaka’s win in Saint-Malo has translated to success on the main tour, as she opened her account at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 win over wild card Sara Errani.
During her time in Saint-Malo, Osaka drew motivation from the real-life chapter of tennis history that inspired “Challengers,” when former ATP No. 1 Andre Agassi dropped down to that level during his late-’90s comeback. As WTA Tennis quotes, Osaka said, “I remember reading [Agassi’s] book… There was a moment where he was flipping his own scoreboards. Someone came and yelled, ‘Image is everything!’ I would say that section of the book crossed my mind more.” This mindset seems to have served her well, as she struck 40 winners in total against Errani, frequently finding breathtaking angles with her backhand.
WTA 125 fields and their ATP equivalent, the Challenger tour, don’t usually boast Grand Slam champions. However, this trend is changing, with players like Sofia Kenin and Bianca Andreescu competing at the lower tier. Marin Cilic, a 2014 US Open winner, even set an ATP record for the longest gap between Challenger titles when he lifted the trophy in Girona earlier this year. As WTA Tennis notes, Cilic told atptour.com, “You have to accept that I’m not Top 100, Top 50 anymore, so you can’t just pick and choose any tournament you want to play. It’s time to put the head down, work, get back to Challengers and grind it out.”
Osaka’s week in Saint-Malo wasn’t without its challenges, as she found herself trailing Diane Parry 4-1 in the third set before recovering to win the last five games in a row. As WTA Tennis reports, Osaka said she was “stressed out” in that match, but not because of what pundits would say. She simply missed her daughter, Shai. Luckily, she was able to snap out of that and claim the title, which gave her the perfect opportunity to indulge in a French dessert treat – crêpes – on coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s recommendation.
As Osaka moves forward in the tournament, she will next face No. 9 seed Paula Badosa. With her newfound confidence on clay, she will undoubtedly be one to watch in the coming days. As WTA Tennis notes, Osaka’s revival on clay is a testament to her hard work and determination, and it’s clear that she’s not done yet. With her sights set on further success, Osaka’s Rome revival is a story that’s sure to continue to unfold.
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