Naomi Osaka lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of Indian Wells.
The Japanese star was overwhelmed by Sabalenka’s power in California, losing 2-6, 4-6.
It’s not the first time Osaka has looked out of sorts against an elite opponent recently.
Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek… who do you prefer? 🤔
Before Osaka even played Sabalenka, Kim Clijsters explained why the four-time Grand Slam champion is struggling against the big-hitters in women’s tennis.
Kim Clijsters says Naomi Osaka should play doubles and doesn’t think she has a backup plan
During the latest episode of ‘Love All‘, Clijsters shared her thoughts on Osaka’s current level.
“I do think tennis-wise she is back at the level that she had before she had her daughter,” said Clijsters.
“I think she is just as fit, if not fitter, than she was, compared to before she had her daughter. She looks like she’s enjoying putting in the work, putting in the time, getting better.
“I think she’s doing all the right things.”
Clijsters thinks Osaka’s problems stem from her not having any ‘solutions’ when her game isn’t working.
“To me, the thing that stands out to me the most, she hits the ball, maybe not quite as hard as a [Aryna] Sabalenka or [Elena] Rybakina, but she has a good serve, hits the ball almost as hard as those top players, I think the difference, where she lacks a little bit, is her overall court game,” she said.
“When she plays somebody that hits the ball hard, it’s either you go harder, or go home, she doesn’t have other solutions.”
The Belgian believes Osaka would benefit from playing more doubles.
“At times, I think she’s a player, I’ve talked in the past about Sabalenka quitting doubles because she wanted to focus on singles, with Elise Mertens, I’ve talked about her wanting to get back to the top 10 and getting to semifinals of Grand Slams, there you would almost recommend, maybe try pulling back a little bit on the doubles. But with Osaka, I almost feel like it would be great to see her play some doubles,” said Clijsters.
“I really think she could benefit from being a little bit more comfortable coming in and using the doubles as an advantage in her singles game.
Naomi Osaka’s last five doubles tournaments
| Tournament | Partner | Performance | Match wins |
| 2024 Abu Dhabi Open | Ons Jabeur | Lost in R16 | 0 |
| 2017 Pan Pacific Open | Mari Osaka | Lost in R16 | 0 |
| 2017 US Open | Francesca Schiavone | Lost in R64 | 0 |
| 2017 Wimbledon | Zhang Shuai | Lost in R64 | 0 |
| 2017 Miami Open | Monica Puig | Lost in R32 | 0 |
“But I think overall she is better than what she was before.
“We saw her beat Serena [Williams], but now you have players, like Sabalenka, she serves great, maybe not as well as Serena did, but very, very close, hits the ball as hard, moves just as well as Serena used to.
- 2018 US Open final – Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4
“There are a lot of players who take Osaka’s strength away from her, and when that happens, you have to be able to fall back on a couple of solutions, and at times, I don’t think she has them.”
Osaka certainly has some thinking to do ahead of her return to action at the Miami Open.
Who should Naomi Osaka play doubles with?
Clijsters thinks Osaka should start playing doubles, but who should she pick as her partner?
It’s hard to look past Alex Eala.
The Filipina is arguably the most popular tennis player alive and has the talent to back up her superstardom.
Adding to that, she’s played plenty of doubles, making her the perfect partner for Osaka.
Eala has already played doubles with Iva Jovic and Janice Tjen this year, and would surely relish the opportunity to team up with a four-time major winner.
There is, however, an argument to suggest that having that many eyes on Osaka could have a negative effect.
Trying to work on her game with thousands of fans watching on in a raucous atmosphere might not be what Clijsters had in mind.
Does anybody else even come close to Alex Eala’s popularity right now?
Instead, maybe Osaka should choose a strong, under-the-radar doubles player, with whom she can hone her skills at the net.
Only time will tell if and when Osaka will start to play doubles again, but it will certainly be something to look out for.
The 2026 Miami Open begins next week.
