Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about Naomi Osaka’s latest move in the tennis world. Recently, Osaka hired Patrick Mouratoglou as her new coach, and let me tell you, this is a big deal!
Naomi Osaka, who is currently ranked 26th in the world, has been on a journey to regain her consistency on the court. After splitting with her previous coach Wim Fisette earlier in September, Osaka decided to bring in Mouratoglou, who is known for his work with Serena Williams. This move comes as Osaka seeks to avoid having any regrets in her career, a sentiment that resonates with many athletes looking to make the most of their time in the spotlight.
“I think I’m at a stage in my life that I don’t want to have regrets,” Osaka said about working with Mouratoglou. “I’d rather pull the trigger on something and I don’t want to say ‘fail’, but I feel like I really need to learn as much as possible in this stage of my career.”
Mouratoglou’s experience coaching Serena Williams is undoubtedly a significant factor in Osaka’s decision. Despite initial hesitation due to Serena’s persona being so big, Osaka found him to be an excellent coach after meeting and working with him on the court.
“The fact that he was Serena’s coach made me want to avoid him just because his persona is so big,” Osaka mentioned. “This isn’t rude because I found out it’s not true, but I didn’t know if he was a good coach or he coached Serena. Then I met him, talked to him, worked with him on the court. He absolutely is a really good coach.”
Osaka made her return from maternity leave in January but has struggled for consistency since then. She has reached the quarter-finals in only two of the 16 tournaments she has played this season and has not gone past the second round of a Grand Slam. With Mouratoglou by her side, Osaka is hoping for a turnaround in her performance.
Her next match is against 21st seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round at the China Open. It will be interesting to see how this new partnership between Osaka and Mouratoglou plays out on the court.
###