"Don’t think she is going to win the French Open this year" says Evert on Osaka's chances

Chris Evert spoke about the chances of Naomi Osaka at this year's French Open and explained what she expects from Naomi this year and down the road.

Naomi Osaka is not very familiar with clay and this was proven this year when she experienced pronounced struggles on the surface. She played three matches in 2021 and lost two of them although her opposition has been quite tough to be fair. Seven-time Roland Garros champion Chris Evert spoke about Osaka and her chances. She said:

“With Naomi, it is not going to happen overnight, she might need a few years to get on the red clay and the green clay to learn a natural slide, to learn how to be a little more patient before she pulls the trigger. She is an attacking player but the balls are coming back because the surfaces are a little slower, so it’s been a challenge for her."

Despite Osaka's struggles, Evert likes the positivity she sees in Osaka and genuinely believes she wants to improve on the surface. Asked what she thinks of her chances this year, Evert said:

“I don’t think she is going to win the French Open this year, but I think if she stays with it and really wants to learn how to play on clay a few years down the road then it’s another story. You have to have the patience for that and the endurance. Psychologically, it’s a whole different game to that on a hard court or a grass court.”

Osaka recently practiced with Ashleigh Barty on clay which is beneficial to her as Barty is a great clay player.