Just days after splitting from coach Patrick Mouratoglou, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is showing exactly what she’s capable of. The Japanese tennis star has stormed into the semifinals at the ongoing WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, Canada, looking like the player who once dominated the sport.
What Did Patrick Mouratoglou Say About Naomi Osaka’s Montreal Surge?
Osaka teamed up with Mouratoglou in 2024, hoping to rediscover the form that brought her four Grand Slam titles and the World No. 1 ranking. However, the partnership couldn’t deliver the results both sides wanted, leading to their split late last month.
“She’s doing well for the moment in Montreal,” Mouratoglou told CNN Sports as Osaka’s Canadian Open run gained momentum. The French coach, who spent a decade guiding Serena Williams to multiple Grand Slam victories, remained supportive of his former player. “Let’s hope she’s going to go all the way. I think her level of tennis is here. The thing that was missing was the competitiveness.”
Mouratoglou offered insight into their working relationship, saying, “I think she’s a great competitor, but at that time she was not as good as a competitor as I think can be and she has been in the past. And this is the thing that we didn’t solve.”
“I wish we could have more time to solve it,” he said. “But we didn’t, that’s life, and I have no regrets on that because that’s the rule when you work in high level.”
Following their split, Osaka began working on a trial basis with Tomasz Wiktorowski, the Polish coach who previously steered Iga Świątek to multiple Grand Slam titles and the World No. 1 ranking.
How Has Osaka Rebuilt Her Game to Become a Contender Again?
Osaka’s path back to elite tennis hasn’t been straightforward. She stepped away from tennis in the fall of 2022 after an opening-round loss at the US Open and a Round of 16 exit at the Pan Pacific Open. The hiatus extended when she announced her pregnancy in January 2023, welcoming her daughter, Shai, in July the following year.
Despite inconsistent results upon her return, Osaka has shown steady improvement while climbing back up the rankings. She currently sits at No. 49 on the WTA chart, and her strong showing in Canada will push her ranking even higher. She is expected to be seeded at the upcoming US Open.
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The 27-year-old has found her rhythm at the Canadian Open, dismantling a series of challenging opponents with the power and precision that made her a champion. She’s beaten Jelena Ostapenko, Anastasija Sevastova, and Elina Svitolina with relative ease, each victory building momentum for what could be her biggest result in years.
Now, Osaka will face 22-year-old Danish power-hitter Clara Tauson for a place in her first WTA 1000 final since the Miami Open in 2022, where she lost to Świątek in straight sets.
AloJapan.com