Naomi Osaka shares behind-the-scenes look into her first week of clay training ahead of Madrid Open

Naomi Osaka is welcoming the European clay court season grind with open arms. The four-time Grand Slam champion gave fans an insider's look at her grueling clay practice regimen recently by sharing a carousel of photos of her first week on the job at Patrick Mouratoglou's tennis academy in France as she gears up to return to the Mutua Madrid Open later this month.

The 2024 Mutua Madrid Open, to be held from April 22 to May 4, is a key event in her return campaign after joining the WTA Tour earlier this year. Ranked World No. 56, Osaka has had glimpses of her past brilliance after returning from maternity leave.

Fresh from a decent performance at the 2024 Miami Open, Osaka gave glimpses of her past brilliance. She defeated qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva, 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and American wildcard Hailey Baptiste to advance to the Round of 16. Although she ultimately lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Osaka forced the match into three sets, eventually losing 6-3, 4-6, 4-6.

On April 4, 2025, the Japanese star shares an honest review of her initial week of training on clay courts. The carousel of photos comprised images of her sweating it out at the gym, working on her forehand on clay, and one surprise pic that had the fans giggling—a freeze frame of two rabbits in mid-air in what appeared to be a martial arts face-off. She captioned the pictures:

"That’s a wrap on week 1 of clay."

With her sixth Madrid Open on the horizon, Osaka seems to be gaining confidence and acquiring clay court knowledge, seeking to better her strongest finish at the tournament—a 2019 quarterfinal appearance.

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Naomi Osaka opened up about taking break from tennis to focus on raising her daughter Shai

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

Naomi Osaka gave an open report on her changing tennis priorities. At a press conference during the 2025 ASB Classic in Auckland, Osaka stated she would not carry on playing if she could not live up to her own standards, and that motherhood could assume a more central place in her life.

"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 gave fans a heartfelt glimpse of what her dream life with Shai looks like.