The coach of a renowned tennis player discussed her struggles on clay courts

Naomi Osaka's coach, Wim Fissette, expressed satisfaction with her progress since returning to the tour and discussed her challenges on clay courts.

The former world number one re-entered the WTA Tour in January after giving birth to her first child in August 2023. Amidst the clay season, she has secured just one victory in three matches on clay.

This week, Osaka will compete in Rome, where she faces Clara Burel in the first round, and, if successful, will meet Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.

"I'm very pleased with the process. Specifically regarding clay, she hasn't played on it for a long time and hasn't had much success on this surface for a while, so we can't expect miracles. We can hope for them, but we must be realistic. But the progress is very good.

It's all about experience and time spent on clay. Everything is different; it takes time to make tactical adjustments. Of course, the movement is different, the bounce is different, as it involves higher contact.

But if you think about the last five years, how many hours has she spent on clay, and how many matches has she played on it? So what I've seen has been very promising," said Fissette to Tennis 365.