Naomi Osaka plans Mallorca training bloc ahead of Roland Garros, takes positives from Rome

ROME, Italy—Naomi Osaka will take much from a revitalizing week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where she enjoyed her best clay-court result since 2019 and went toe-to-toe with her first Top 10 opponent of her comeback from maternity leave.

“I'll learn that the level's not that different,” she said despite a 6-2, 6-4 defeat to No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen in the third round on Monday. “It's kind of just more key moments I would say, staying mentally very resilient in myself and my abilities.”

Osaka, who plans to head back to Mallorca for another training bloc ahead of Roland Garros, was coming off back-to-back Top 20 victories over Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina. Both Kostyuk, who reached the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final last month, and Kasatkina, a former Roland Garros semifinalist, are proven commodities on clay compared to the former world No. 1, who has notoriously struggled on the surface.

“It's been a while since I played well on…I guess I've never played well on clay, so I guess I'm happy,” she said with a laugh.

Zheng was the highest-ranked player Osaka has faced since she played then-world No. 2 Iga Swiatek at the 2022 Miami Open final, and for her part, the Australian Open finalist admitted she, too, felt extra motivation coming into the match after feeling less hungry in the months that followed her major breakthrough.

“I enjoy to compete with her because I know she got really great level,” Zheng said.

“I jump on the court, I say to myself that I want to show my good tennis again and to really compete with her, show the big respect that I have, so I'm going to just give my everything.

Speaking after the match, Osaka admitted to over-pressing in anticipation of an increased onslaught.

“I feel like I expected a lot from her, and it made me very overwhelmed with my own game. I don't really know how to articulate that properly,” explained the four-time Grand Slam champion.

“I think sometimes I felt like I had no choice but to do something because she might play it this way. In reality, it wasn't like that at all. I kind of only understood that in the second set. That's why it was a bit closer. In the first set, I definitely overwhelmed myself after the first two or three games.”

After losing serve three times in the first set, Osaka rebounded in the second, staying within one break but ultimately bowed out to the Australian Open finalist in an 84-minute result that left the Japanese star frustrated but with something upon which to build.

“A little bit of a mix of emotions,” she said, assessing her comeback thus far.

“I think to be in this position that I am right now, and to have been able to beat Kasatkina in straight sets is something that I'm really happy about. But currently I'm talking to you because I lost a match.

“My daughter's not even one yet, so I have to understand that. I'm very impatient. But I'll try to be patient. I'll try my best.”

Osaka will reunite with daughter Shai in Paris, where she is likely to be a far more dangerous floater in the Roland Garros draw than even Osaka herself may have expected two weeks ago.