"It's a delicate situation she's facing right now," Austin comments on Osaka
Currently ranked 57th in the world, Naomi Osaka has yet to regain her best form—the level that once made her WTA No. 1 and a four-time Grand Slam champion—since her return from pregnancy.
Now coached by Patrick Mouratoglou, the Japanese star recently claimed her first clay-court title in Saint-Malo but still lacks consistency in her performances and results.
Having lost her last three matches on the main tour, Osaka isn’t heading into Wimbledon with the highest confidence. On Tennis Channel, Tracy Austin discussed the current situation of the 27-year-old player.
"I have to be honest. I didn’t think it would take this long for a player who’s won four Grand Slams and is so dedicated to tennis to find her level again.
She’s started working with Patrick Mouratoglou, and I know she’s putting in the work. When she loses, she goes back to train at his academy. I’m super proud of Naomi (Osaka) for doing everything she can to improve her clay-court game.
She’s won all her Grand Slams on hard courts and has never felt comfortable on grass. I think she’s really looking forward to the summer and the U.S. tour. That match against Samsonova in Berlin could have been a turning point.
She must be starting to doubt herself because she’s losing matches 6-4 in the third set. Her confidence isn’t at its peak, and other players are starting to believe they can beat her. It’s a delicate situation she’s facing right now," explained the former world No. 1.
Berlin 
When tennis stars change courts: from Noah the singer to Safin the deputy, another match – the battle of reinvention 
As a laboratory for tomorrow’s tennis, does the Next Gen Masters have a future? 
Tennis: the little-known truths about the offseason, between rest, stress and physical survival 
What if tennis lost its soul? The case of robotized officiating, between tradition and a dehumanized modernity 