Naomi Osaka says she is "embracing the clay a lot more now" after capturing her first victory on the surface since 2022 in the first round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
The former world No. 1 grew up playing on hard courts in the United States and has mostly struggled on the red dirt over the years.
But back at the Caja Magica for the first time in two years, Osaka looked comfortable during her 6-4, 6-1 win over Belgian lucky loser Greet Minnen to book a second-round meeting with No. 15 seed Liudmila Samsonova.
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