Patrick Mouratoglou has opened up about his recent split from Naomi Osaka ahead of the Canadian Open. The Japanese tennis sensation brought in fresh blood with Tomasz Wiktorowski as her new mentor.
Their partnership delivered instant results – Osaka advanced to the Montreal final and reached the US Open semi-finals.
Mouratoglou – who has admitted to fighting with tennis legend Serena Williams over her weight – has now disclosed that Osaka battled with the pressure and expectations that accompanied working with Williams’ former mentor.
The French coaching guru also acknowledged that Osaka’s performances fell short of their aspirations – but the additional burden of his prestigious reputation with Williams created complications.
“Looking back, I didn’t do a good enough job, otherwise the results would have been there,” Mouratoglou told The Guardian. “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.”
Osaka witnessed immediate improvements after separating from Mouratoglou. She recruited Polish coach Wiktorowski, who previously collaborated with world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, for a test run in Montreal.
The four-time Major champion made a strong showing in the final, finishing as runner-up to Victoria Mboko.
She took a break during the Cincinnati Open, then made a triumphant return at Flushing Meadows. Osaka delivered a stunning performance against Coco Gauff on her way to the semi-finals – her best Grand Slam tournament showing since 2021. Now, she’s climbed back up to No.14 in the world rankings.
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“I think she’s back to playing at an extremely high level and the performance she showed in these last two tournaments are quite clear. So that’s great news. I’m not surprised at all because I know how much effort she put in,” Mouratoglou commented on her recent success.
“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.”
AloJapan.com