Naomi Osaka has stated she wanted a break from tennis forward of the beginning of the Madrid Open this week, when the world quantity two can be hoping to kickstart her profession on clay.
Osaka has by no means received a WTA match on the crimson filth whereas on the French Open, which begins subsequent month, she is but to make it previous the third spherical.
The Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion would be the quantity two seed in Madrid, the place she performs having taken nearly a month off following her quarter-final exit in Miami.
Her defeat by Maria Sakkari broke a 23-match successful streak and got here after Osaka received the Australian Open in February to again up her triumph on the US Open final yr.
“After Miami I took a little bit of a break as a result of I felt like I wanted to gradual my thoughts down somewhat bit,” stated Osaka in a press convention on Wednesday.
“I felt like I needed it because after Australia I had like one day of rest then I immediately started working. It wasn’t tennis, but other stuff. For me, I just felt like the hard-court swing, the Australian hard-court swing, plus Miami, was kind of compressed for me.
“I didn’t really have time to see my family because I haven’t seen them since Christmas before I went down to Florida. I just wanted to spend time with them and chill out a little bit.”
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Despite her success on exhausting courts, Osaka is but to discover her greatest both on grass or clay, and she or he can be hoping to achieve confidence and rhythm in Madrid, beginning along with her first spherical match towards compatriot Misaki Doi.
Simona Halep, Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka are all in Osaka’s half of the draw.
“It’s thrilling to go into the clay-court swing as a result of I haven’t received a match on clay but,” Osaka said.
“Even though that does make me a bit excited, it also gives me a bit of stress because I really want to do well here.
“I do better when I don’t stress myself out and tell myself that I have to win a tournament. But it’s really hard to fight that feeling when you really want something.”
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