Set to play Madrid, Osaka practices on green clay

Sliding on clay is not second nature to Naomi Osaka, but she’s working to change that. On Monday, she posted a video of herself practicing on green clay.

“How fun,” she wrote.

A example of power and determination, Osaka is aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow baseline ball-bashers Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, both of whom ultimately found success on Europe’s red clay.

Osaka, who kicked off her 2021 season with a fourth major title at the Australian Open, is scheduled to play the Mutua Madrid Open—a combined event. She hasn’t competed on the red dirt the 2019 French Open, where, as the top seed, she bowed out, 6-4, 6-2 to Katerina Siniakova in the third round.

"I don't want to say I feel depressed, but I do," said Osaka after the disappointing loss. "I think it's a natural part of life, especially if, like, you train super hard for moments like these, and then you don't perform how you want to. I feel like saying that ‘I'm depressed’ is a very strong statement. Because I felt that way before, and it's not as extreme as that."

Currently ranked world No. 2 behind that year's Roland Garros champion Ashleigh Barty, Osaka has yet to reach the final of a clay-court event.