Naomi Osaka recently hired Patrick Mouratoglou as her new coach, and after winning her first match under the French coach, the Japanese player shared how the partnership has gone so far.
For most of this year, Osaka was coached by Wim Fissette, who joined her team ahead of this year. That hire was a very controversial one because Fissette was Qinwen Zheng's coach at the time, and she felt betrayed and blindsided by his quitting and joining Osaka immediately after.
Only recently, Osaka split with Fissette in favor of Patrick Mouratoglou. The French coach has a long track record of helping plenty of players get better, so many wonder whether he could help Osaka get back to where she once was.
She was one of the best players in the world, and while she showed that level at times this year as well, she hasn't been able to consistently produce that level. That's why she made the change: She wanted to try something new, and as a person who tries to live without regrets, not doing that would have ended up being one.
Her first match under Mouratoglou proved to be quite an effective win over Lucia Bronzetti at the 2024 China Open, and after the match, Osaka was asked about her new coaching situation with Mouratoglou.
"Yeah, I mean, I'm calling him my coach right now. I didn't know there was a lot of interest in my players box, but... Yeah, I would say he's my coach right now."
Osaka has oftentimes been compared to Serena Williams due to the very direct way she plays tennis. She has a good serve and hits the ball clearly from the baseline, which is how Williams played as well.
While the former player was much more successful than Osaka, Mouratoglou knows how to work with that type of player. Osaka admitted that so far, it's been a really solid experience because she enjoys the way the Frenchman approaches tennis and the way he coaches.
Having comfortably won her first match under him certainly adds to the whole experience, and she hopes that it will be a long-term partnership.
"I would hope so. I try not to, I guess, get into relationships with people for short-term. I try to think of it as a long-term commitment. Yeah, I like the way he coaches. I think it's going to be really interesting."
The Japanese player had high ambitions upon her return to tennis but failed to make them happen under Fissette. Time will tell whether it happens under Mouratoglou, but clearly, Osaka likes her chances.
There are reasons to be optimistic, and these upcoming weeks could be a good trial. Then, in the offseason, they could come up with a plan and execute it next year. Maybe that's why she's made the hire so quickly after parting ways with Fissette.