Naomi Osaka looks to Roland Garros after clay streak ends in Rome

ROME, Italy—Naomi Osaka’s eight-match winning streak—her longest ever on clay courts—ended Monday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the former world No. 1 enduring a narrow loss to Peyton Stearns,6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4).

“I think Peyton played very well,” Osaka said in an interview given through the WTA Tour’s communications team. “It was a physical match and maybe the consecutive matches caught up to me a bit. Going to rest for a bit and reset for Roland Garros.”

Osaka, who won her first title since becoming a mother eight days ago at a WTA 125K in Saint-Malo, led Stearns a mini-break in the final-set tiebreaker before losing the final five points of the match.

“I feel much more confident on clay,” said Osaka, who reached the fourth round at the Foro Italico for a second consecutive year. “Winning my first clay title and winning some tough matches helps instill some confidence ahead of Roland Garros.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who won back-to-back three-setters earlier this week against Viktorija Golubic and Marie Bouzkova, will next head to Roland Garros, where she played one of the best matches of the 2024 season last year against then-No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

Osaka held a match point on Swiatek in the second-round of what became a thrilling three-set clash before Swiatek came back, going on to win a third straight title on the terre battue.

“I won the most consecutive matches on clay in my entire career so that’s definitely something to be proud of. I think the last few weeks were strong steps in the right direction and I’m excited to see what I can do in Paris.”

The 27-year-old has reached the third round three times at Roland Garros, but has not won back-to-back matches in Paris since 2019, when she was ranked world No. 1. Osaka has come into her own on clay in the last two seasons, and though she will be unseeded at Roland Garros, she will likely be considered a dark horse to make the second week for the first time.