Naomi Osaka has opened up about being evacuated from her hotel just hours before her second-round match at the Canadian Open. The four-time Grand Slam winner started her tournament with an impressive straight sets win over Ariana Arseneault, defeating the Canadian 6-4, 6-2.
The Japanese star’s reward is a match-up against 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova, but Osaka’s preparations for the match were jeopardised when the fire alarm in her hotel was set off in the early hours. Sharing the ordeal on social media and revealing which item she was quick to grab, Osaka said: “POV: it’s the night before your match and the fire alarm tells you to evacuate so you grab your passport and go down 12 flights of stairs lol.”
The unexpected wake-up call isn’t exactly how the former world No.1 would’ve been hoping to prepare for the Samsonova clash, as she looks to build momentum ahead of the US Open. Osaka began her hard-court campaign at the Mubadala Citi DC Open last week, but was dumped out by a resurgent Emma Raducanu.
Osaka has been struggling for form of late, having won just six matches across the WTA Tour clay and grass court seasons combined. A return to hard courts will be welcomed by Osaka, who took the decision to part with coach Patrick Mouratoglou and hire Tomasz Wiktorowski in his place.
Expressing her gratitude on Instagram, Osaka said: “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.”
Wiktorowski, a former Iga Swiatek coach, is reportedly set to join Osaka on a trial basis, with the tennis star on the lookout for a new long-term partner. It’s the first job Wiktorowski has taken since parting ways with Swiatek in the autumn, having previously guided his compatriot to the world No.1 ranking, as well as four Grand Slam titles.
He’s a former WTA Coach of the Year award winner, having taken the prize in 2023 for his work with Swiatek. Wiktorowski has also worked with Agnieszka Radwanska in the past, doing so between 2011 and 2018.
Elsewhere at the Canadian Open, all eyes will be on Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins’ all-American clash, while Swiatek has been paired against Guo Hanyu in the second round. Raducanu, who defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets, will play Peyton Stearns for a place in round three.
AloJapan.com