Archive of posts tagged Wim Fissette

Naomi Osaka on Split from Coach Patrick Mouratoglou

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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025
Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty

Naomi Osaka is ready for a reset.

It won’t include Patrick Mouratoglou.

Former No. 1 Osaka announced she split with Mouratoglou, who coached her for nearly 11 months.

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“Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you,” Osaka posted on Instagram. “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.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who split with ex-coach Wim Fissette after the 2024 US Open, began working with Mouratoglou in September of 2024.

 “Yes [he’s] my [coach] right now. I try not to commit to short-term collaborations,” Osaka said last September. “I try to think that it is a long-term commitment. I like the way he coaches. I think it’s going to be very interesting.”

Working with Mouratoglou, Osaka captured her first clay-court title at the WTA 125 event in Saint Malo in May. She also reached the Auckland final in January retiring after dropping the opening set to Clara Tauson, 6-4.

Though they clicked personally, professional results largest eluded Osaka, who fell in three sets to Paula Badosa in the Roland Garros opening round. Osaka reached the Wimbledon third round losing in three sets to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Coach Mouratoglou was philosophical about the parting.

“Nothing lasts forever. What counts is what a collaboration has brought to each other and what lasts after,” Mouratoglou posted on social media.

The 49th-ranked Osaka lost to Emma Raducanu, 6-4, 6-2 in the Washington, DC round of 16 last week. Since she won her fourth Grand Slam championship at the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka has become a mom and spoken publicly about mental health battles. Osaka has played 12 majors since that 2021 AO victory and has yet to surpass the third round. She reached the third round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.  

Osaka to Trial Swiatek’s Ex-Coach Wiktorowski 

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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty

Naomi Osaka didn’t waste time moving on from ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Former world No. 1 Osaka will begin working with Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, Iga Swiatek’s ex-coach, on a trial basis starting in Montreal this week.

It’s a case of trading coaches as Swiatek currently works with Osaka’s ex-coach Wim Fissette.

The Polish website Polski Tennis reported the new partnership, confirmed by journalist Courtney Nguyen.

Under Coach Wiktorowski’s guidance, Swiatek captured four of her six Grand Slam titles. The pair parted in October of 2024 with Swiatek subsequently hiring Osaka’s ex-coach. Though Swiatek did not defend her Roland Garros championship, she made history as the first Polish player to win Wimbledon crushing Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, in The Championships final earlier this month.

Swiatek commenced her run with Wiktorowski at the end of the 2021 season. The pair captured four of Swiatek’s Grand Slam titles during their three-year partnership, and logged 19 of Swiatek’s 22 career titles. She was previously coached by Piotr Sierzputowski, and the pair won Roland-Garros together in 2020. 

“Coach Wiktorowski joined my team for three seasons, when I strongly needed changes and a fresh approach to my game,” Swiatek said after splitting wtih the Polish coach. “His experience, analytical and strategic attitude and enormous knowledge about tennis helped us to achieve things I’ve never dreamed of only a few months after we started working together.

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“Our main goal was to become No.1 player in the world and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first. We aimed very high, we headed to every tournament with a clear goal to win it. Together with coach Wiktorowski we won many tournaments and 4 Grand Slams.”

Osaka announced her split from Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached her for nearly 11 months, over the weekend.

“Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you,” Osaka posted on Instagram. “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.”

Serena Williams' childhood coach has sage advice for struggling Naomi Osaka

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Ariana Arseneault

Serena Williams' childhood coach Rick Macci still believes in Naomi Osaka but highlights to the former world No. 1 that she must find the right guidance and fix some technical stuff in her game.

On Sunday – just a day before her scheduled Montreal first-round match against Ariana Arseneault – the Japanese tennis player decided to end her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou. While the Frenchman is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the game, he didn't manage to help the current world No. 49 rediscover her form that was once making her a Grand Slam contender and champion. 

While Osaka and Mouratoglou had some positive moments and flashes – like when the Japanese reached the final at the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland and also won the WTA 125 (Challenger) tournament in Saint-Malo – overall their tenure didn't go as expected. This year, the four-time Grand Slam champion is only 21-12 and sits ranked just inside the top-50.

Macci: Osaka's split step and anticipation are not there… She can flip the script with the right choice

"Winning/losing is a fine line. Naomi can flip the script with the right choice and what she 100% needs and a proven voice. Her split step is way off and overall anticipation is on vacation. This can be corrected if it is explained in detail and no doubt her confidence will not bail," the 70-year-old coach wrote on X.

Osaka has now changed two coaches since starting her post-pregnancy comeback in 2024 January. In late 2023, she returned Wim Fissette to her team – the same coach with whom she won multiple Grand Slams in the past. Their partnership ended last September. 

It will be interesting to see what Osaka will search in a new coach and who it will be. 

Struggling Naomi Osaka ditches coach Patrick Mouratoglou

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Ariana Arseneault

Naomi Osaka is making a major change at the start of the North American hard-court swing as the former world No. 1 decided to call time on her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Last week, the Japanese kicked off her summer on hard courts in Washington, where she defeated Yulia Putintseva in her opener before being bounced by Emma Raducanu in straight sets. Overall, the four-time Grand Slam champion is 21-12 this year and ranked at No. 49 in the world – a far cry from where she wants to be.

After failing to rediscover her old form, Osaka split with Wim Fissette following the conclusion of the 2024 US Open. The 27-year-old hired Mouratoglou shortly after. Now, less than a year of working together, they are separating. 

"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," the four-time Grand Slam champion announced through an Instagram Story.

How Osaka's tenure with Mouratoglou went?

When Osaka hired Mouratoglou – who worked with Serena Williams for a decade and achieved massive success – she was hoping the French coach could lead her to the Promised Land. It didn't happen and their partnership is now a thing of the past.

When it comes to the Japanese's 2025 season, two results stand out – a runner-up finish in Auckland and her first clay title at the WTA 125 (Challenger) tournament in Saint-Malo. 

Now that Mouratoglou is gone, it will be interesting to see if Osaka brings someone to assist her or if she decides to go solo for some time. 

Today, the former world No. 1 is starting her campaign at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, where she plays against world No. 515 Ariana Arseneault. The Japanese's form may not be the best but she enters as the major favorite against the 515th-ranked Canadian.