"I'm going to play mixed doubles at Wimbledon, I'm shocked too" - Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka's run at the 2022 Madrid Open came to an end in the second round on Sunday with a 6-3, 6-1 defeat to home hope Sara Sorribes Tormo. The Japanese, nevertheless, is already looking forward to the rest of the season.

During the match, Osaka showed a bit of variety by approaching the net often, an unusual addition to her repertoire. When asked about the changes to her game during her post-match press conference, she revealed that she is working on her net skills because of a commitment to playing mixed doubles at Wimbledon later this year.

The 24-year-old emphasized how she doesn't want to be a "liability" to her partner, whose identity she chose not to reveal. It is pertinent to note that the former World No. 1 hasn't played doubles at the Majors since 2017.

"So I've been really trying to focus on my net game, because I'm going to play mixed doubles at Wimbledon," Osaka said. "I know, shocking, right? I'm shocked too. I really don't want to disappoint the person I'm playing with, because whenever I play doubles I always say sorry. I'm going to try not to be a liability. Isn't it more fun to kind of see it when it's around the time? I'm pretty sure if you wanted to guess, you could guess who it is."

The four-time Slam winner then proceeded to shed light on the taping she had on her left leg on Sunday. She disclosed that her Achilles started bothering her after her first-round win against Anastasia Potapova on Friday. As a result, Osaka refrained from a vigorous practice session in order to alleviate the pain. She is, however, confident that the problem isn't too severe.

"I felt something in my Achilles after my last match and I wasn't really able to hit in practice because I wanted it to go away," she said. "I felt it again during the match, and I tried to take an ibuprofen but I probably should have taken it way sooner than I did. I have had it before. But I can't imagine that it will be a huge problem unless something significant happens."

"This loss is probably going to keep me up for a while" - Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka after her second-round loss at the 2022 Madrid Open

The World No. 36 further reflected on the loss to Sorribes Tormo, admitting that her dismal showing will perhaps give her a sleepless night or two. She said she would still go about her daily fitness routines, but will gain a clearer picture of her schedule only after getting her Achilles checked.

"I'm the type of person that if I feel I don't do well, I can't sleep or anything like that, so this is probably going to keep me up for a while," she said. "Of course I want to work out and go to the gym and stuff. I don't even really know what I did to my Achilles, so I'm probably going to get an ultrasound and see what happened, and then me and my team will kind of move forward from there."

Naomi Osaka is currently on the entry list for the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Rome, which begins on 9 May.