Naomi Osaka has expressed her desire to move forward without regrets as she begins working with her new coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, at the China Open. Osaka, who recently split from long-time coach Wim Fisette, secured a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in her first match under Mouratoglou’s guidance.
The 26-year-old admitted she was initially hesitant to collaborate with Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams. “The fact that he was Serena’s coach made me want to avoid him just because his persona is so big,” Osaka shared. However, after meeting and working with him, she was convinced of his coaching abilities. “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’s 2024 season has been a challenging one, with only two quarter-final appearances out of 16 tournaments and early exits from Grand Slam events since her return from maternity leave in January. Reflecting on her decision to team up with Mouratoglou, she stated, “I’d rather pull the trigger on something… I feel like I really need to learn as much as possible in this stage of my career.”
Osaka’s next challenge will be against 21st seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round in Beijing, as she continues her quest for consistency and success under her new coaching partnership.
