Naomi Osaka drops 4-word reaction as she shows off the state of her shoes while grinding on clay courts

Naomi Osaka is putting in the hard work ahead of the European clay court swing, and she has the scuffed-up shoes to show for it. The former World No. 1 gave her fans a behind-the-scenes peek at her training grind before the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open by posting a photo of her thoroughly scuffed-up, clay-daubed sneakers.

Osaka, who is ranked World No. 56, is well into her redemption season following her return to the tour earlier this year. With the upcoming Mutua Madrid Open from April 22 to May 4, the Japanese ace is busy sharpening her edge.

The recent clay court outings are on the heels of her performance during the 2024 Miami Open. She cruised past qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and American wildcard Hailey Baptiste to reach the Round of 16. There, she gave a tough battle before losing to eventual semifinalist Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 4-6, 4-6.

Since her Miami exit, Osaka has been hard at work preparing for her clay court swing. The four-time Grand Slam winner posted on her Instagram stories on April 4, 2025, a photo of her dirty training shoes with patches of dirt from the clay court. She captioned the photo:

"Rip to my shoes."

Screengrab of Naomi Osaka's Instagram stories (@naomiosaka)

With a lot of motivation to push her through what will be her sixth appearance at the Madrid Open, Osaka has a lot of drive. Her first appearance in the main draw at the tournament was in 2018, and although she lost in the first round to Shuai Zhang, she returned the following year with her best performance to date—making it to the quarterfinals before losing in a three-setter to Belinda Bencic.

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Naomi Osaka discussed stepping away from tennis to prioritize time with daughter Shai

In Picture: Naomi Osaka during the 2024 China Open (Source: Getty)

Naomi Osaka delivered candid insights about her uncertain tennis career. The former World No. 1, who had given birth to her daughter Shai in 2023, suggested shifting priorities as she assessed her current level of play.

Speaking at a press conference during the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland, Osaka stated that she wouldn't keep playing if she didn't meet her own expectations, going on to explain that she would concentrate more on motherhood instead.

"I don’t think I’m the type of player that would hang around," Osaka said. "I have a lot of respect for all the players on tour, but the point of my life that I’m at right now, if I’m not above a certain ranking, I don’t see myself playing for a while."

"I’d rather spend time with my daughter if I’m not where I think I should be and where I feel like I can be," she added.

In other news, Naomi Osaka also treated fans to a touching glimpse of what her perfect life with daughter Shai would be like.