Second seed Naomi Osaka is up against Romanian Patricia Tig in her opening match at French Open 2021. Despite her past couple of disappointing exits on clay, her coach asserts that one ‘cannot rule her out.’
Moreover, Coach Wim Fissette, who helped her win the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open, also believes that French Open is not far away. On the same, he explained the mindset, caliber, and motivation of Osaka behind it.
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Coach Wim Fissette explains why Naomi Osaka can win at French Open
Inarguably, clay courts are much more complex to adjust on than the other surfaces in tennis. For this, Fissette has got half his job done. “She does understand what is necessary to conquer the clay,” the coach said.
However, on Osaka‘s prospects of winning, the Belgium coach thinks she needs more match experience. Also, he added that once she has it, it is possible.
“I hope she will get a few matches where she will be able to battle through and improve her level step-by-step. If she is able to do that, then I do believe in it,” Fissette said.
Furthermore, the coach ruled out the early rounds exit in lead-up tournaments considering Grand Slams are different. Given her record in major events, Fissette showed great belief in her.
“Naomi has shown in the past she is able to excel in the Grand Slam tournaments. During these events, she is even more motivated, and fights even more than normal. So I think we definitely cannot rule out Naomi as a dangerous player in Paris,” Wim explained.
“We will try to make the best of it”: Naomi’s coach Fissette on Roland-Garros 2021
Notably, Osaka did not play French Open last year and has played only three matches on clay this year. Besides, with the late Australian Open and Olympics looming over, he could not invest time with her as needed on clay. Even so, the player and coach will take this as an experience.
“It is what it is, and we will try to make the best of it. She is very young; she still has a lot to learn, but she is ready to learn,” he continued.
“This year, we are making steps in this process, and I am convinced she will learn a lot on clay this year, and she will use that for next year.”
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Conclusively, in line with the incredible talent Osaka has, they can achieve success anywhere. But, fans are excited to see her perform well at French Open after the Australian Open triumph.
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Do you think Osaka has the guns to see through the French Open 2021 title?
Also Read: Naomi Osaka’s French Open 2021 Path Becomes Tougher Following Alison Riske’s Withdrawal