Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka takes 1st title in 4 years and her first on clay

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 04, 2025 3:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Four-time Grand Slam victor Naomi Osaka claimed her archetypal WTA rubric since triumphing astatine the 2021 Australian Open, and connected her seemingly worst surface.

Osaka bushed Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 Sunday successful France to triumph L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 tournament, and unafraid her archetypal ever trophy connected clay.

It was besides the Japanese player's archetypal WTA rubric since she became a parent successful July 2023, returning to tennis astatine the commencement of the pursuing year.

"Kinda ironic to triumph my archetypal trophy backmost connected the aboveground that I thought was my worst," Osaka wrote connected X. "That's 1 of my favourite things astir beingness though, there's ever country to turn and evolve.

"Thanks to everyone accompanying maine connected this journey, I cognize it's turbulent but it's besides truly amusive and I'm grateful."

The erstwhile satellite No. 1 volition emergence to No. 48 successful the WTA rankings connected Monday.

Osaka has 2 Australian Open and 2 U.S. Open crowns connected hard courts but has a mediocre grounds astatine the French Open and pulled retired of the clay-court tourney successful 2021 earlier the 2nd circular to instrumentality a intelligence wellness break.

The 27-year-old's clay-court play had started with a nonaccomplishment successful the archetypal circular of the Madrid Open past month.

The French Open starts May 25.