Naomi Osaka will start a new chapter in her comeback journey, ending her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
It's been more than a year since Osaka returned to the tennis courts. As a former WTA World No. 1 player, her comeback was highly anticipated, but in more than 12 months of action, the Japanese player has yet to win another title.
She is a four-time Grand Slam champion and has numerous other achievements, but since becoming a mother, the 27-year-old couldn't replicate the level that once brought her to multiple major titles and the World No. 1 ranking.
At times, Osaka performed exceptionally, recording some impressive wins and troubling some challenging opponents. At the same time, she has yet to have a significant run at an event since her return.
In search of those results, Osaka hired Mouratoglou already last year. The two seemingly enjoyed working together, but likely due to the continued lack of significant results, they ended their partnership after less than a year.
Their collaboration came to an end after Osaka lost in the second round of the 2025 Citi Open in Washington to Emma Raducanu. It's not the only partnership that ended this week, as Stefanos Tsitsipas parted ways with Goran Ivanisevic as well.
Osaka announced the end of their collaboration through a post on her social media accounts, thanking the experienced Frenchman for his contributions to her tennis career.
"Merci, Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met, and I'm sure I'll see you around."
It's clear that Osaka enjoyed working with Mouratoglou, but the lack of results was something that she couldn't ignore, instead choosing to try a different path to success.
As for the French coach, he has yet to find a player like his former pupil Serena Williams. Mouratoglou has enjoyed plenty of success with the legendary American, and although he is known for developing exceptional players, he hasn't had many recent successful partnerships.
Osaka, on the other hand, will want to continue focusing on her tennis. Next, she will compete at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she will start against one of the home players.
Osaka will play against Ariana Arseneault, ranked 511th in the world, in the first round of the tournament. If she passes that test, the Japanese player will take on the 13th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova.
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