Naomi Osaka’s former coach Patrick Mouratoglou has claimed that he “didn’t do a good enough job” coaching the former world No 1 during their 10-month partnership.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka and French coach Mouratoglou, best known for his work with Serena Williams, parted ways following the Japanese’s heavy loss to Emma Raducanu at the Citi D.C Open in July.
The pair had been working together since Autumn 2024, a spell which saw Osaka claim the WTA 125 title in Saint-Malo, but struggle with fitness and also to consistently make her mark at the very biggest events on tour.
Since splitting with Mouratoglou, Osaka has started working with Tomasz Wiktorowski and has had two strong runs in their tournaments together so far.
In their first event together, Osaka reached her first WTA 1000 final in over three years at the Canadian Open, before she progressed to her first Grand Slam semi-final in over four years at the US Open earlier this month.
Mouratoglou has yet to start working with a new player in the aftermath of his split with Osaka, with the two having parted ways on good terms.
And, speaking to The Guardian this week, the Frenchman claimed that the pair’s inability to produce a strong run together ultimately “ruined” what had been a congenial partnership.
“The results weren’t good enough, which completely made sense,” said Mouratoglou.
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“I think we did a lot of good things but, at least from a coaching standpoint, the one thing that you don’t master can ruin the whole thing.
“I think she improved so much, I was seeing it on a daily basis. And her mindset was great. But she was not performing well enough during the matches, so that was the one piece that was ruining the whole thing.
“Looking back, I didn’t do a good enough job, otherwise the results would have been there.
“I also think that having me as a coach was a bit heavy for her, in regards to what I did with Serena for many years. She mentioned it a few times actually, even publicly –- and I didn’t find a way to take that pressure away. I think maybe that’s why she wasn’t performing.
“As soon as I was not in the loop, she felt probably lighter. By not having that pressure, she could express her tennis more freely. But there are no hard feelings. She’s a great competitor.”
All eyes will be on how Osaka fares next, with the 27-year-old surging back inside the top 15 of the WTA Rankings following her US Open run — her highest ranking since January 2022.
The Japanese looks primed for a strong Asian swing and, after injuring herself in the fourth round of the China Open last year, has just a small handful of ranking points to defend.
Mouratoglou is “not surprised” by Osaka’s return to form, and thinks the Japanese player deserves to have a spot at the very top of the women’s game.
He added: “I’m not surprised at all because I know how much effort she put in.
“When we split, I told her agent she was 100% ready – which I felt because her practice level was consistent and extremely high.
“She needed these breakthroughs, which she had quite fast, to probably realise that she was able to play with the best and beat them.
“For women’s tennis to have Naomi back in the mix is amazing. She’s one of the most iconic players of the last five years.”
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AloJapan.com