The French tennis coach also admitted that Osaka’s results weren’t what they had hoped for – but the added element of his status with Williams didn’t help.
“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 did see immediate results after parting ways with Mouratoglou. She brought in Polish coach Wiktorowski, who previously worked with world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, for a trial in Montreal.
There, the four-time Major winner stormed into the final, finishing runner-up to Victoria Mboko. She skipped the Cincinnati Open to rest, and then returned with a bang in Flushing Meadows.
Osaka stunned Coco Gauff on her way to the semi-finals – her best showing at a Grand Slam tournament since 2021. Now, she’s back up to No. 14 in the world.
“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 said of 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.”
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