Naomi Osaka: I’m too weak on grass to win Wimbledon this year

Wimbledon
Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka has admitted that she is worried that her grass court game is nowhere near the standard it needs to be to win Wimbledon this year.

The Japanese star has won two of the last three Grand Slams, although last week lost the world number one spot to French Open champion Ashleigh Barty.

Since winning the Australian Open in January, her form has bucked under the weight of her own expectations, but she has moved to relieve the pressure on herself ahead of Wimbledon.

“If you ask me right now, I would say for me grass is the hardest surface to learn because I’ve played on clay, despite the fact that it was green clay when I was little,” Osaka told reporters ahead of the tournament.

“But I never played on grass until I was 16 or 17. Every day I learn something while I play here. You only technically play on grass for three weeks out of the year, opposed to the clay season. I just feel like my brain has to work way harder every day than the clay season.”

“It’s been kind of tough, especially since it’s way more unpredictable than clay. But I feel like it should be good for me because it’s very heavily reliant on the first serves, sort of being the first person to be aggressive.

“I’ve been kind of trying to learn every day. I think it’s been a very humbling experience.”

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