Former Wimbledon finalist believes Naomi Osaka's serve is the secret to making progress on grass courts

After a disappointing first round exit at the Berlin Ladies Open, Naomi Osaka will need to reevaluate her gameplan as she prepares for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships. Former World No.1 Andy Roddick is of the opinion that modifying her serve could lead to better results for the Japanese superstar.

The four-time Grand Slam champion faced Liudmila Samsonova in their opening round clash in Berlin, with the Russian star rallying from a set down to score a three-set victory. Osaka now turns her attention to SW 19, an event where her best performance has been third round appearances in 2017 and 2018.

Taking advantage of her serve will lead to success on grass, says Roddick

Following Osaka's loss on Tuesday, retired American Roddick spoke with former player Tracy Austin in a segment on The Tennis Channel Live. The 2003 US Open champion, who himself has reached several finals at Wimbledon, stated Osaka needed to be more aggressive behind her serve in order to enjoy success on grass courts.

"There’s no reason why she can’t play well on grass,” said Roddick. “I think she needs to focus on that first-strike tennis, maybe move her serve around a little it more and take some chances on the second serve so her movement doesn’t get a chance to get exposed as often."

Austin chimed in, stating grass was never Osaka's preferred surface and hinted at the former World No.1 looking forward to the North American hard court season this summer.

"I’ve got to be honest: I didn’t think it would take this long for someone who has won four majors and has been so committed, working with Patrick Mouratoglou,” added Austin. “She’s worked so hard; when she’s lost, she goes back to the Academy there. I’m super proud of Naomi for trying to play better on the clay. Her four majors were all on hard and she never felt comfortable on the grass. She can’t wait for the summer to happen."