World No 2 Naomi Osaka let her racquet do the talking at the French Open on Sunday, maintaining her media boycott but briefly telling a TV interviewer that her clay court game is “a work in progress”.
Osaka opened the first day of action at Roland Garros with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Romanian world number 63 Patricia Maria Tig.
Three-time major winner Angelique Kerber, the German 26th seed, fell at the first hurdle, losing to Ukrainian qualifier Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 6-4. The win was a 14th successive win for the world number 139 Kalinina across all tournaments.
The 23-year-old Japanese star, a four-time Grand Slam title winner, has refused to carry out media obligations at the tournament, claiming news conferences are detrimental to her mental health. She believes traditional post-match inquests are akin to “kicking people when they’re down”.
French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton, however, described Osaka’s move as a “phenomenal…