Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka takes first title in 4 years and her first on clay

Audio By Carbonatix

SAINT-MALO, France (AP) — Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka claimed her first WTA title since triumphing at the 2021 Australian Open — and on her seemingly worst surface.

Osaka beat Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 Sunday to win L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo — a WTA 125 tournament — and secure her first ever trophy on clay.

It was also the Japanese player’s first WTA title since she became a mother in July 2023, returning to tennis at the start of the following year.

“Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst,” Osaka wrote on X. “That’s one of my favorite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve.

“Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it’s turbulent but it’s also really fun and I’m grateful.”

The former world No. 1 will rise to No. 48 in the WTA rankings on Monday.

Osaka has two Australian Open and two U.S. Open crowns on hard courts but has a poor record at the French Open and pulled out of the clay-court tournament in 2021 before the second round to take a mental health break.

The 27-year-old's clay-court season had started with a loss in the first round of the Madrid Open last month.

The French Open starts May 25.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis