The second Grand Slam (four major tournaments) of the 2025 season, the French Open, will begin in Paris on May 25th. WOWOW will broadcast and stream the entire schedule live for two weeks. Prior to the start of the tournament, four Japanese players, including Yoshihito Nishioka and Naomi Osaka, who will be competing in the men's and women's singles, spoke about their enthusiasm.
In the first round, Nishioka will face A. Poplin (Australia) and Osaka will face P. Badosa (Spain). Uchijima Moeka and Hibino Nao will face off against each other. The four will appear on the 26th or 27th.
◇Yoshihito Nishioka
How do you view this season so far?
I have a shoulder injury and haven't been able to play properly since the Davis Cup (at the end of January). It's unfortunate that I couldn't make it to the French Open on the schedule I had hoped for, but I think I'll be able to make it to this tournament just in time.
Last year I played in around eight tournaments during the clay court season, but there were many things that didn't go well, so this year I was thinking about doing better (on clay courts), like trying different racket lengths or finding ways to generate more power, but (on clay courts) the ball bounces higher and there are many strokes in positions that put strain on the shoulders, so my injury wasn't fully healed and I wasn't able to try all the things I wanted to try.
-What is your impression of Poplin, who you will be facing in the first round?
I think his strengths are his good serve and forehand. He's not the type to be persistent or tenacious, but rather the type to push forward with momentum. I think the key to victory is how well you can break down your opponent. I haven't played many matches on clay, so I'd like to focus on how much I can adjust (before the first round) in the match.
--Please tell us your enthusiasm for this tournament.
First of all, I just hope that I don't have any shoulder pain. I've only been practicing properly for a few days since I got here, so I don't know how much I can do. Rather than thinking about winning or losing, I just want my shoulder to hold out until the end. If I can play here without pain, my worries about the upcoming season will disappear, so I think that's an important factor.
◇Naomi Osaka
--Congratulations on winning the Saint-Malo tournament (WTA125 held in early May). Why did you decide to enter that tournament?
For me, I felt that I needed to play more matches on clay. I hadn't played many clay matches in my career. So this tournament came up and Patrick (Mouratoglou) said it would be good for me to do it, so I trusted him. I was happy to win. It was a good experience (before the French Open).
--Your opponent in the first round will be Badosa. How do you plan to fight?
"I'm very excited. It's a lot of fun to play against a good player. This will be my first time playing against her, but I'm going to do my best and play what I know I can do."
◇Moeka Uchijima
--This will be your second consecutive year competing in the French Open. How do you feel right now?
I'm happy to be back at the French Open. I have fond memories of it as it was last year when I qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time, and I'm happy to be competing here again.
--How did you feel at last year's French Open?
Winning the three tough qualifying matches gave me confidence. I achieved my first Grand Slam victory in the first round of the main draw, and I was really happy to be able to play against Sabalenka on Centre Court in the second round.
I didn't grow up playing mainly on clay courts, so every year I've been trying to figure out how to make my play work well on clay courts. Last year at the French Open, I got the feeling that my play and clay courts are a good match, which was a great benefit.
How do you feel about this season so far?
(My ranking has risen) and from this year onwards, I have been able to participate in major tournaments such as Grand Slams and Masters (from the main draw). At first, I was able to get through the first round, but there was a wall in the second round. I was able to overcome that wall by reaching the quarterfinals in Madrid (WTA1000 in April), so although it is only a little at a time, I feel that I am growing.
--What helped you overcome the barrier?
Up until now, my goal has been to make it to the second week of the tournament, but I think I was too conscious of that. In Madrid, I focused on playing the best I could. I think that led to the results. I was able to beat world-class players like Jabeur and Pegula, so I'll use that confidence to believe that I can beat those players if I play my best, and I'll do my best next time.
--What are your goals for this tournament?
Of course, I want to stay in the second week, but I'm not thinking too much about the future. I just want to focus on the first round and give my best to Hibino and I. Thank you for your support.
Nao Hibino
--How did you feel when you heard that your first round opponent would be Uchijima Moeka?
To be honest, it was the only place I didn't want to be in. I want to avoid a sudden showdown between the few Japanese players. But it's the places you don't want to be in (laughs).
--How do you think the match against Uchijima will play out? How can I take the lead? It will definitely be a tough match, but the ideal situation is to effectively use the ball with spin on the forehand to make the opponent run and create opportunities. The longer the match, the more confident I am in my stamina. I hope to be as tenacious as possible and bring it to a long battle.
--Please tell us about your enthusiasm for this tournament.
I've been playing on clay courts since March, and I'm finally starting to understand how to play on clay. I'm really enjoying playing on clay now, so I want to win as many matches as possible and gain more confidence to play on clay.
WOWOW will broadcast live and simultaneously stream the tournament every day from May 25 to June 8 on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand. The day sessions on the first day will be broadcast at 5:45 pm on May 25 and midnight on the 26th.
