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2021 French Open – Roland Garros
Qualifying rounds: 24-28 May 2021
Main draw: 30 May-13 June 2021
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
Japanese star Naomi Osaka will look to defy her average record on clay when she participates in the
French Open at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, with the main draw tournament set to run from Sunday 30 May to Sunday 13 June 2021.
Osaka has failed to progress beyond the third round of the French Open in four previous visits to Roland Garros, while she has exited the recent Madrid and Italian Opens both in the round of 32 after losses to Karolina Muchova and Jessica Pegula respectively.
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However, Osaka should not be underestimated: the 23-year-old is a four-time Grand Slam champion, including the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year. If she can adjust her crisp striking and show more patience, then the slow clay of Paris could yet become a favourable surface.
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“I have a pretty positive outlook on it,” Osaka said of her time on clay in 2021. “I can control my attitude and how hard I fought and for me, I thought I did that really well. Physically I don’t think I got tired. I just made some pretty bad decisions point-wise in really crucial moments.”
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“I’m really happy with how I was able to talk with my team after I lost and after I came off the court. I think we really have a plan now, so I think it’s good.”
She added, “These tournaments are called warm-up tournaments and of course we all come here to win and do well at these tournaments too, but I would prefer to peak at the French as opposed to winning this tournament and then kind of going downhill.”
Osaka will enter Roland Garros as an outsider, with the Japanese set to be seeded behind the likes of reigning champion Iga Swiatek, world number one Ashleigh Barty, Simona Halep and Elina Svitolina.
Naomi Osaka: French Open record
Appearances: 4
Win-loss record: 6-4
Best result: Third round (2 – 2016, 2019)
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