The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the 2026 professional tennis season, will begin on May 24th. Naomi Osaka, whose best performance to date is reaching the third round, will face L. Siegemund (Germany) in her first match, while Moeka Uchijima, who is making her eighth consecutive appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament, will face C. Liu (USA), who has advanced through the qualifiers. Ahead of the tournament's start, Osaka and Uchijima, who will be competing in the women's singles, spoke to WOWOW in an interview, expressing their enthusiasm for the tournament.
◇Naomi Osaka
--How has your form been during the clay court season?
I don't think it was that bad. I'm sure I could have done better, but I was able to play against top-class players, and I want to reach that level myself. I think I can learn a lot from these matches, and I hope to be able to put that into practice in the main tournament.
--There was a surprise with your outfit at the Australian Open, are you preparing another surprise this time?
I'm also putting a lot of effort into preparing the fashion aspects. That's why I have a surprise planned for this event, and I'm really looking forward to it.
--What kind of special training have you been doing in preparation for the clay court season?
It's been a tough season. When I lost to Sabalenka in April (Madrid, Spain, WTA 1000), I thought it was a very close match. Then, in May (Rome, Italy, WTA 1000), I lost to Iga (Świątek). Even then, I felt I had a chance. So, in the time leading up to this, I've been working on improving my tennis, focusing on the things I can control.
--Please give a message to your fans.
Thank you all for always watching the matches. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
◇ Moeka Uchijima
--How is your condition?
To be honest, I haven't been feeling very well these past few days, so I haven't been able to practice or anything. There's still some time until the match, so I want to get myself into the best possible condition.
--What are the reasons for your strong performance in this clay court season?
I've consistently performed best on clay courts every year, which makes me realize that it suits my playing style. This year, I won two WTA 125 tournaments (Antalya, Turkey in March and Saint-Malo, France in April), which has boosted my confidence. On the other hand, there was a tournament where I lost in the first round, so it was an up-and-down clay season. I'm looking forward to returning to a big stage like this and competing again.
-- Is your playing style well suited to clay courts?
Clay courts are particularly good for court play because the ball bounces easily, so I think there's a good chance of winning if you can effectively use spin on the ball. If you can use space, add height, and hit angled shots, and employ a variety of playing styles, I think you have a high chance of winning. Compared to other surfaces, I think I'm well-suited to clay.
-- Do you have any special feelings about this tournament, where you achieved your first Grand Slam singles main draw victory in 2024?
Paris is one of my most memorable tournaments. This time, I haven't been feeling well, so all I can do is prepare as best I can and go into the matches. But I think the adrenaline will kick in and I'll be in high spirits once I step onto the court of this tournament, where I have so many good memories. I'm looking forward to being on the court.
*...WOWOW will broadcast the tournament live every day until the final day on June 7th. The two will appear from the 25th onwards.
