Former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has officially returned to the winner’s circle, capturing her first WTA title in four years — and doing it on a surface long considered her Achilles’ heel.
Osaka, 27, defeated Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 on Sunday, May 4, 2025, to win L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo, a WTA 125 tournament. The victory marks her first title since the 2021 Australian Open and the first of her career on clay, a surface where she has historically struggled.
The win is especially significant as it also marks Osaka’s first trophy since giving birth to her daughter in July 2023. She returned to professional tennis at the beginning of 2024 and has steadily worked her way back into form.
“Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst,” Osaka posted on X. “That’s one of my favorite things about life though, there’s always room to grow and evolve.”
The Saint-Malo victory propels Osaka up the WTA rankings, moving her from outside the top 100 into the No. 48 spot. Her win comes after a disappointing start to the clay-court season, including a first-round exit in Madrid last month.
Despite her past dominance on hard courts — with two Australian Open and two U.S. Open titles — Osaka has yet to make a deep run at the French Open. She withdrew from Roland Garros in 2021 to prioritize her mental health.
With the French Open set to begin on May 25, Osaka’s Saint-Malo title could signal a turning point in her clay-court narrative and reignite hopes for a strong showing in Paris.
