Naomi Osaka is out of Wimbledon at the third round once again, beaten by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova despite rushing into a deserved one-set lead.
The Japanese tennis star has endured a tough 2025, laden with surprising defeats to many whom she would have been expected to beat.
It is this consistent stream of shock losses which has led the 27-year-old to constantly question herself, particularly on social media, only ramping up the pressure on herself.
Chris Evert suggested Osaka and Emma Raducanu are suffering from a similar problem, but Jim Courier has posited another theory.
Jim Courier gives advice to Naomi Osaka after Wimbledon defeat
Chatting to Tennis Channel Live, the panel sought to unpick why Osaka’s grass-court woes continued this year, as she once again failed to get past the third round.
Courier had one suggestion that might surprise some, highlighting Mouratoglou as causing a potential issue which he can’t even control.
The 54-time Grand Slam champion hinted: ‘I would say one thing that that’s probably also weighing on her is the fact that, look, she’s put the work in clearly. She’s fitter than I’ve seen her in a long, long time. She’s worked with Patrick Mouratoglou.
‘Now Patrick Mouratoglou has a pretty darn good track record working in women’s tennis. Is that adding pressure? It sure seems like it, what she said after the French Open, that she felt like she was letting him down in a way, that’s not a thought that should be on a player’s mind.
‘A player should be thinking about just trying to execute the next shot. Not that I’m letting someone down. So there’s some cloudiness there, and that happens.
‘This is not an easy sport to handle all the elements for sure, and she’s got a lot going on in her life being a mother as well, but, you know, some clarity to go along with her clear professionalism, I think, would go a long way at this point.’
Naomi Osaka continues to lose tight matches
It’s so frustrating that, on paper, Osaka just continues to lose without rhyme or reason.
After all, she was once the dominant force on the tour, sweeping up four Grand Slam titles with minimal fuss.
Now, any confidence built from that magical run has ebbed away, leaving her a shell of the legendary player she once was. That is, despite still boasting all of the quality and physicality she used to.
When delving deeper into her recent defeats though, it becomes more and more clear just how Osaka’s lack of mental toughness in the big moments is holding her back.
Whenever it goes the distance, she wilts, where in the past she might have risen to the occasion.
She lost yesterday’s deciding third set 6-4, having led by a set to one.
In Berlin, despite leading, she lost the final set 6-4 to Liudmila Samsonova.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images
In Paris, despite leading, she lost the final set 6-4 to Paula Badosa.
And that is just in the last month.
A seriously worrying pattern is emerging for Osaka, where she proves herself more than competitive, then crumbles when things get tough.
No longer is her technical or physical level the problem; this consistent collapse can only be mental, and needs rectifying if she is to return to where many will feel she belongs.
AloJapan.com