Naomi Osaka has made some big changes on clay this year as she looks to find her best tennis on the red stuff.
The former world number one suffered a tough defeat in her first match on clay this year, when she lost to Lucia Bronzetti, 4-6, 2-6, 4-6 at the Madrid Open.
Looking to bounce back, Osaka chose to play a W125 event in Saint Malo, France, a decision she received praise for.
Securing her first career title on clay, Osaka beat Kaja Juvan in straight sets, returning to the world’s top 50 in the process.
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Carrying that momentum through to the Italian Open, the Japanese star has won her opening two matches.
Following Osaka’s second-round win over Viktorija Golubic, her coach shared a video to social media highlighting a change the world number 48 made to her forehand recently.
Patrick Mouratoglou made an improvement to Naomi Osaka’s forehand on clay
On Instagram, Patrick Mouratoglou can be seen showing the 27-year-old how to improve her forehand.
“Imagine there is a nail here, and during the hit, it doesn’t move. It’s easy to be accurate when nothing moves,” he said.
“Stay here [low], let the hand do the job. If the leg, the shoulder, everything is moving, it’s very difficult.”
Osaka quickly got to grips with the technique and left the Frenchman impressed.
Photo by PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images
“Look at the sound, even the sound of the ball. I think no more explanation [is needed], because you got it,” he said.
“The quality of the ball is day and night.”
It looked like all of Mouratoglou and Osaka’s hard work had gone to waste during the early stages of her match with Golubic in Rome.
Osaka was spraying errors as she struggled to control her opponent’s slice in the first set.
Bravely fighting back, Osaka secured the win in three sets, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, advancing to the third round where she’ll take on either Beatriz Haddad Maia or Marie Bouzkova.
Proud of Osaka’s comeback win, Mouratoglou posted an image to his social media of the scoreline during the second set of Osaka’s win over Golubic, where the Swiss star served for the match at 6-2, 5-4.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty ImagesWhat is Naomi Osaka’s longest-ever WTA winning streak?
Osaka has now won seven consecutive matches, but what was her longest-ever WTA Tour winning streak?
During the latter stages of the 2020 season, heading into 2021, Osaka won 23 matches in a row, picking up two Grand Slam titles along the way.
Match numberMatchResultOpponentScore–Billie Jean King Cup – QRLossSara Sorribes Tormo0-6, 3-612020 Cincinnati Open – 2RWinKarolina Muchova6-7, 6-4, 6-222020 Cincinnati Open – 3RWinDayana Yastremska6-3, 6-132020 Cincinnati Open – QFWinAnett Kontaveit4-6, 6-2, 7-542020 Cincinnati Open – SFWinElise Mertens6-2, 7-6–2020 Cincinnati Open – FWalkoverVictoria AzarenkaW/O52020 US Open – 1RWinMisaki Doi6-2, 5-7, 6-262020 US Open – 2RWinCamila Giorgi6-1, 6-272020 US Open – 3RWinMarta Kostyuk6-3, 6-7, 6-282020 US Open – 4RWinAnett Kontaveit6-3, 6-492020 US Open – QFWinShelby Rogers6-3, 6-4102020 US Open – SFWinJennifer Brady7-6, 3-6, 6-3112020 US Open – FWinVictoria Azarenka1-6, 6-3, 6-3122021 Gippsland Trophy – 2RWinAlize Cornet6-2, 6-2132021 Gippsland Trophy – 3RWinKatie Boulter3-6, 6-3, 6-1142021 Gippsland Trophy – QFWinIrina-Camelia Begu7-5, 6-1–2021 Gippsland Trophy – SFWalkoverElise MertensW/O152021 Australian Open – 1RWinAnastasia Pavlyuchenkova6-1, 6-2162021 Australian Open – 2RWinCaroline Garcia6-2, 6-3172021 Australian Open – 3RWinOns Jabeur6-3, 6-2182021 Australian Open – 4RWinGarbine Muguruza4-6, 6-4, 7-5192021 Australian Open – QFWinHsieh Su-wei6-2, 6-2202021 Australian Open – SFWinSerena Williams6-3, 6-4212021 Australian Open – FWinJennifer Brady6-4, 6-3222021 Miami Open – 2RWinAjla Tomljanovic7-6, 6-4–2021 Miami Open – 3RWalkoverNina StojanovicW/O232021 Miami Open – 4RWinElise Mertens6-3, 6-3–2021 Miami Open – QFLossMaria Sakkari0-6, 4-6
Osaka won her third and fourth Grand Slams during her winning streak, lifting the titles in New York and Melbourne.
Eventually, her run came to an end at the hands of Maria Sakkari, as she fell to defeat in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Miami Open.
Considering her form thus far in 2025, it seems unlikely that Osaka will win another 16 matches to tie her current record-winning streak, but she’ll certainly be looking to pick up win number eight when she next takes to the court.
Osaka will play Bouzkova or Haddad Maia for a place in the Italian Open fourth round on Saturday, May 10.
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