'Better Than Ever Before' Osaka 'Possible Winner' At US Open According To Coach

Tuesday, 09 January 2024 at 04:00

byZachary Wimer

Naomi Osaka will return to the Australian Open after missing last year's event due to her pregnancy, and her coach thinks she will do well.

Osaka announced her in 2023, and she gave birth in the meantime, becoming a mother, and started to prepare for her return immediately. Fast forward to now, Osaka is back in the sport, just like she promised when she announced her pregnancy.

It was a winning return in Brisbane with a 6-3, 7-6(9) win over Tamara Korpatsch, but it didn't last long as she lost the next match to Karolina Pliskova. Still, the week in Brisbane was a positive one, and Osaka characterized it as a win.

The Australian Open will be an entirely different challenge. As a two-time champion, Osaka will be under the microscope. How will she do? Will she handle the pressure? So many questions need answers, but for her coach, one question has a pretty clear answer.

Despite many not considering her capable of winning the event, coach Wim Fissette told BBC that she certainly can do that.

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"I will always see her as a possible winner, but I am also realistic. She is always a candidate. I cannot predict results, but I will promise you that she will be a better tennis player than she has ever been before. For sure."

The coach was part of a controversy last year when he left Qinwen Zheng to coach Osaka again at the end of the last year. The way he handled it was criticized by Zheng, and she was surprised by it.

She knew it was a minor possibility but was still stunned by the suddenness of the move. In any case, Fissette is back with Osaka and wants to help her become the best player she can be. As he said, he sees her as being better than ever. Let's see if it truly happens.