As the clay court season approaches, Naomi Osaka is leaving no stone unturned—or rather, no speck of dirt undisturbed—in her preparation for the European swing. The four-time Grand Slam champion recently took to Instagram Stories on April 4, 2025, to give fans a glimpse of her gritty training regimen, showcasing a pair of well-worn shoes caked in the unmistakable reddish hue of clay. Accompanying the image was a succinct, yet telling, four-word caption: “Grinding on the clay.” The post, simple as it was, spoke volumes about Osaka’s relentless work ethic as she gears up for a pivotal stretch of her 2025 season.
Osaka’s journey back to the top echelons of tennis has been anything but smooth. After welcoming her daughter, Shai, in 2023, the former World No. 1 has been candid about the challenges of balancing motherhood with the demands of professional tennis. Her return to the WTA Tour earlier this year marked the beginning of what she’s dubbed her “redemption season,” and the results so far have been a mixed bag of resilience and setbacks. Ranked No. 56 globally, Osaka has already notched nine wins in 13 matches this year, including a strong run to the final at the ASB Classic in Auckland. However, injuries—like the abdominal strain that forced her to retire mid-match at the Australian Open in January—have tested her resolve. Yet, here she is, pounding the clay courts with a determination that’s palpable even through a single Instagram snapshot.
The photo of her shoes, scuffed and smeared with dirt, tells a story of its own. It’s a testament to the hours she’s logging on the notoriously demanding surface, one that requires a unique blend of stamina, agility, and patience—qualities Osaka is working tirelessly to refine. Clay courts have historically been a challenging frontier for the Japanese superstar, whose powerful baseline game thrives on the faster hard courts where she’s claimed all four of her Major titles. Her best performances on clay have been modest by her lofty standards, with a fourth-round appearance at the Italian Open last year being a recent highlight. Still, Osaka’s not one to shy away from a challenge. “I love when someone tells me I can’t do something,” she once posted online, a mantra that seems to fuel her current clay-court crusade.
Fresh off her Miami Open campaign, where she reached the fourth round before falling to Jasmine Paolini in a hard-fought three-setter, Osaka is now shifting her focus to the European clay season. Her next stop? The prestigious Mutua Madrid Open, set to kick off on April 22. It’s a tournament where she’s had mixed fortunes—last year, she notched a win over Greet Minnen before a narrow defeat to Liudmila Samsonova—but one that offers a prime opportunity to make a statement. Following Madrid, she’s slated to compete at the Italian Open in Rome, another chance to build
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