Osaka credits increasing comfort on clay for comeback win in Madrid

After a slow start to proceedings, Naomi Osaka discovered her rhythm as she rallied past compatriot Misaki Doi to advance at the Madrid Open.

The Japanese superstar defeated Doi 7-5 6-2 in her first round match, coming back from an early break to improve to 3-0 against the World No.79. This would be Osaka's first match on red clay since her third-round loss at Roland Garros in 2019, as she opted to skip the surface last year due to a hamstring injury.

"When I was playing on clay that year, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all," said Osaka. "The two matches that I lost, it was more mental than it was physical. Like, I didn't feel uncomfortable sliding or I didn't feel that tired. So I'm actually really excited to get that mindset back and to start feeling more comfortable on clay."

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The reigning US and Australian Open champion has yet to reach a WTA final on clay, and has set that as a goal for the 2021 season.

"I try to play my natural way," said Osaka. "I would say if I start thinking about grinding too much, I become a bit of a pusher and it's not really good for me. Of course you want to adapt to the clay and do things that are beneficial, but hopefully I don't change too much."

The World No.2 will face Australian Open semifinalist Karolina Muchova in the second round, as the Czech defeated Wang Qiang 6-1 6-3 earlier in the day.