Two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka addressed the media today ahead of her first round match against Maria Sakkari tomorrow.
The two have played each other twice before with Sakkari getting the better of Osaka in their last meeting winning 6-3, 7-6 at Cincinatti Masters last year.
On playing on grass
"You know grass, I am not that comfortable with. It's always the first tournament that's the hardest. So yeah I have only practiced twice on grass because it was raining a lot.
It's just really different to everything that I have ever played on because at least on clay it's what I grew up playing, but grass I have never, like, as a little kid I have never played on grass"
Best Clay Season
Although hard court is Osaka's best surface where she gets the best results from, the world no 1 has also had her best clay season this year reaching the semi-final in Stuttgart earlier in the year, and also reaching the quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome.
The Japanese star is hoping to replicate her form on the clay and transfer it to the grass.
"I mean for sure every year I want to improve on something, whether it's results-wise, or just playing in general. So definitely I want to go into each season trying to play as well as I can and better than the last year, so that's definitely a goal."
Downtime
With how busy the WTA tour is it's very hard for players to take time off away from the courts, Osaka mentions the time she has away from playing tennis.
"I went home and sort of just chilled for a week. That week was the first week I took a complete week off, and honestly, I haven't felt like I rested ever. Like I have never took a vacation, so that's my sort of mini vacation in a way."
Osaka went out to Elina Svitolina in last year's event missing out on the final eight. She will go into this year's competition with an open mind however having had a good season overall, and she is certainly not to be taken lightly on the grass surface.