Naomi Osaka expressed her hopes for a lasting collaboration with her new coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, after advancing to the second round of the China Open. The four-time Grand Slam champion recently parted ways with coach Wim Fissette and began working with Mouratoglou in Beijing. Mouratoglou is known for having coached Serena Williams, helping her secure 10 of her 23 Grand Slam titles.
Osaka, at 26, is seeking to revitalize her career after returning to professional tennis nine months ago following a maternity break. In her first match with Mouratoglou, she defeated Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 6-2.
“I’m referring to him as my coach for now,” Osaka mentioned. “I didn’t realize there was so much interest in my player box. I prefer to approach coaching as a long-term commitment and I appreciate Mouratoglou’s coaching style. I think it will be quite an interesting journey.”
Initially, Osaka was somewhat reluctant to approach Mouratoglou due to his reputable background with Serena Williams. “The fact that he coached Serena made me a bit apprehensive because he’s a larger-than-life persona. I wasn’t sure if he would be a good fit for me,” she admitted. However, after meeting and working with him, she praised his coaching abilities.
Osaka acknowledged she still feels a bit nervous around Mouratoglou and is working on becoming more comfortable with him as they continue their coaching relationship.