Naomi Osaka’s Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Sends 5-Word Message As They Prepare for Paula Badosa Thriller at French Open

Naomi Osaka aims to have a stellar campaign at the 2025 French Open, where she will also look to win her fifth Grand Slam title. The Japanese had already started her preparations for Roland Garros with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, as they arrived in Paris.

Osaka will open her campaign against former World No. 2 Paula Badosa, and she will head into the contest with a short yet powerful advice from Mouratoglou.

The 2025 clay-court season has brought a mix of setbacks and breakthroughs for Osaka. Despite a first-round exit in Madrid, the 27-year-old turned things around in Saint-Malo, capturing her first title in nearly four years. She defeated Petra Marcinko, Diane Parry, Elsa Jacquemot, and Leolia Jeanjean before overcoming Kaja Juvan in the final to win the WTA 125 event.

Osaka continued her steady run at the 2025 Italian Open before narrowly falling to American Peyton Stearns in the fourth round. Determined to peak in Paris, she quickly resumed intense clay-court training with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

Now, the four-time Major champion has set her sights on her first-round match against Paula Badosa at the French Open — their first-ever meeting on the tour. The duo was supposed to meet earlier at the Italian Open, but Badosa’s unfortunate last-minute withdrawal prevented the match.

Ahead of the match, Osaka received a piece of valuable advice from her coach, Mouratoglou. The 54-year-old shared a few pictures from their practice session on Instagram and wrote:

“Energy and mindset are everything. @naomiosaka @rolandgarros,” he wrote.

Naomi Osaka’s Gritty French Open Clash with Iga Świątek Made Headlines Last Year

Naomi Osaka became the talk of the town last year for her gritty performance against Iga Świątek in the second round of the French Open 2024. The Japanese defeated Lucia Bronzetti in the opener and held a match point on serve at 5-3 against the Pole. Despite this, the five-time Major champion mounted a strong comeback, winning 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5.

Świątek was unquestionably at her peak last year, entering the French Open following victories in Rome and Madrid. Notably, Osaka was the sole player to present any significant challenge to Świątek during the tournament, as the Polish star secured straight-set victories in all her other matches and eventually won the title.

Despite the defeat, Osaka was thrilled to give the former World No. 1 a fight and called it a memorable encounter.

“Probably the most fun match that I have played [since her comeback] so far. It just felt really incredible, the atmosphere, and how fun I guess everyone in the crowd was having, too. It was definitely very memorable for me,” she said.

Osaka will look to have a deep run at the 2025 French Open and improve her 17-6 win-loss record. If the 27-year-old gets past Badosa in the first round, she will face either Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse or American McCartney Kessler.