‘I have to do better’ – Osaka refuses to make excuses after first-round defeat

Naomi Osaka refused to make excuses but admitted she has to “really do better” after her return to clay ended in a 6-4 6-2 defeat to Martina Trevisan in the first round of the Stuttgart Open.

The four-time Grand Slam champion received a wildcard into the tournament having not played on the surface since a first-round loss to Amanda Anisimova at the 2022 French Open.

Osaka started the match well but couldn’t convert the chances she had to break in the opening set and Trevisan made her pay in what is just her second tour-level win of the year.

“It was really difficult for me… it was my second time hitting on this type of court,” Osaka said. “I think that overall I could have done better but I’ve tried my best.”

Osaka only returned to the tour in January after 15 months out of the sport on maternity leave and has struggled for consistency.

She dropped her serve in the opening game of the encounter but broke back immediately and then had chances to put daylight between herself and Trevisan.

However, the Italian withstood the onslaught before making a decisive move at 4-4 to break and then serve out to take a tight first set.

She then found another gear in the second and made lighter work of Osaka as she strode to the winning line.

Trevisan broke in the third and seventh games en route to completing a straight-sets victory and set up a last-16 meeting with No. 3 seed Anhelina Kalinina.

But while Osaka, who only arrived in France on Monday after playing for Japan against Kazakhstan in a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier in Tokyo, acknowledged she wasn’t at her best, she refused to blame the quick turnaround and lengthy travel.

“I have never been the type to make excuses for myself, I just have to really do better,” she added.

“I think today, obviously, I didn’t hit too many great shots and I could have done better. I’m kind of thinking I didn’t do too bad but also I’m pretty hard on myself.”

Osaka will be in action at next week’s Madrid Open ahead of the French Open in May.