'I’m not that comfortable with grass': World No. 1 Naomi Osaka weighs her chances at Wimbledon
The world No. 1 in women’s tennis, Japanese star Naomi Osaka, says she doesn’t feel comfortable on grass courts as she continues preparations for the season’s third Grand Slam tournament – The Wimbledon Championships.
The 21-year-old, who is set to compete at a Wimbledon warm-up event (The Birmingham Classic), recalled her last appearance on grass, when she was dispatched by Angelique Kerber, and admitted it’s not her favorite surface.
"Whenever I come to grass I can only remember the last match I played which is always Wimbledon and last year I played against Kerber and she kind of crushed me," Osaka said, referring to her loss to the eventual Wimbledon champion.
"Grass, I’m not really that comfortable with it," she admitted.
"It’s always the first tournament that’s the hardest. I have only practiced twice on grass because it was raining a lot. So, I guess I’m feeling as good as I can."
Osaka, a hard court specialist, rose to international prominence last year after winning her first Grand Slam, defeating none other than her idol, Serena Williams, in the final of the US Open.
The Japanese sensation added to her success several months later, claiming another major title in Melbourne, beating Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic to capture the Australian Open title.
Since then, the top-ranked women’s player has struggled somewhat as she has failed to add to her list of tournament titles, including at the French Open, where she was knocked out in the third round.
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