Naomi Osaka was unable to beat Aryna Sabalenka, despite leading the world number one by a set and a break.
Osaka made retirement suggestions last month after she lost her only match at the Miami Open.
The four-time Grand Slam champion did not play another match until the Madrid Open, where Osaka was beaten by Sabalenka 6(1)-7, 6-3, 6-2.
This was a much closer match than when they played at Indian Wells, and Osaka has admitted her mixed feelings after losing to Sabalenka.
Naomi Osaka ‘a little mad’ after losing to Aryna Sabalenka
Osaka has not always loved playing on clay, having won all seven of her tour-level titles on hard courts, but this was a much improved performance on the surface in Madrid.
When speaking to media after the match, Osaka was asked to compare her level on clay compared to a year ago.
While obviously disappointed, Osaka admitted that she could take some positives from her performance against Sabalenka.
“I mean, I think for me, like I can, I guess, obviously, like, losing is not a positive thing for me, but I can take positives from this match,” said Osaka.
“Obviously I feel like I’m in a better spot than I was last year. Last year I wasn’t ranked. This year I’m ranked. I can go to Rome as a seed, which is really cool for me. Yeah, I mean, it was a really tough match, but I feel better than how I played her in Indian Wells.”
Osaka added when asked about what the positives were, “I think just knowing how close it was. I feel like every game was super close.
“I think I realize, like, I could potentially match her in power. I feel like in Indian Wells I was a little overwhelmed. Here I did a little bit better. Obviously she’s the No. 1 player in the world, so it was a really cool match for me to know that I’m like kind of there.”
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Osaka was then told that the tennis she was playing against Sabalenka would have probably beat most other players, but this did not seem to be of much reassurance to her.
“It’s situational. Like, I don’t really care if it beats a lot of other people because I wanted to beat her,” answered Osaka. “So it doesn’t really matter because, at the end of the day, I didn’t win this match, and this is the opponent that I was given today.
Osaka was asked for another reflection on her first clay court tournament of the year, admitting that she was ‘a little mad’ with losing to Sabalenka, but feeling positive on the whole.
“Honestly, like, if I take the tournament as a whole, since I didn’t play since Miami, I would say that I’m pleased,” said Osaka. “But I hate losing, so I’m a little mad right now.
“But, yeah, I mean, I think my last match I played against Gibson, it wasn’t that great. This one was a little bit better. Hopefully I can just keep going a little bit further day by day.”
What is next for Naomi Osaka?
Osaka is in a very different position to a year ago, when she lost in the first round of the Madrid Open to Lucia Bronzetti and then decided to play a lower-level WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo, where she won the title.
The now world number 15 will look to continue her impressive start to the clay court season at the Italian Open next week.
Osaka has previously produced better results in Rome than Madrid, having won 60% of her 15 matches at the tournament.
| Year | Naomi Osaka’s result at the Italian Open |
| 2017 | First Round |
| 2018 | Second Round |
| 2019 | Quarterfinal |
| 2021 | Second Round |
| 2024 | Fourth Round |
| 2025 | Fourth Round |
The 28-year-old’s best result came in 2019, when Osaka made it all the way to the quarterfinals.
Osaka was one match away from matching that in both 2024 and 2025, where she reached the fourth round in the Italian capital.
The main draw of the Italian Open will get underway on Tuesday, May 5, but Osaka will not play her first match in Rome until Thursday as a seeded player.
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