Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka Announces Drastic Coaching Move
09/15/2024 02:13 PM
Naomi Osaka parted ways with her longtime tennis coach.
Following a second-round elimination at this year's U.S. Open, Osaka announced the move Friday. The 26-year-old said she's parting ways with Wim Fissette.
"Four years, two Slams and a whole lot of memories," Osaka wrote on Instagram stories. "Thanks Wim for being a great coach and an even greater person. Wishing you all the best."
On that same day, a UCLA professor posted a photo of Osaka practicing in Los Angeles with Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams. Neither Osaka nor Mouratoglou have confirmed an official working relationship as of Sunday afternoon.
Shortly after holding the world's No. 1 seed, Osaka began working with Fissette in 2020. She won the 2020 U.S. Open and 2021 Australian Open under his tutelage.
Osaka returned to tennis earlier this year after giving birth to her first child. Although she's yet to advance past the second round of a single's Grand Slam tournament, she took the top-ranked Iga Świątek to her limit at the French Open.
Osaka recently admitted her current stretch was "difficult" after Karolína Muchová eliminated her from the U.S. Open.
"It's a little rough because I do take these losses really personally," Osaka said, per the WTA Tour. "It's like a dramatic word, but I feel like my heart dies every time I lose. It sucks a lot, but I've been trying to be more mature and learn and talk more about them. I feel like I'm working way harder than I've ever worked in my life, so it needs to turn into something. Well, it doesn't need to, but I think it will."
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