Naomi Osaka sets sights on next big career goal after hiring Serena Williams' ex-coach

Naomi Osaka has made a key adjustment to her coaching team by joining hands with Serena Williams' ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. She has also set high goals for herself, as big moves often come with even bigger ambitions.

Earlier this month, Osaka parted ways with Wim Fisette after four years together across two stints. She was spotted practicing with Mouratoglou at UCLA shortly after and arrived in Beijing to compete in the China Open, with the veteran coach by her side.

The Japanese kicked off her new partnership on a strong note, securing a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Lucia Bronzetti in the opening round of the WTA 1000 tournament. She later shared how much she enjoys competing during the Asian swing during a press conference.

"I think for me the Asian swing is full of possibilities. I've always done really well at the end of the year. I always look forward to it. Especially with the two tournaments in Japan, for me it's kind of the time to dig deep and try to get really good results," she said.

Naomi Osaka then outlined her next goal: to be seeded for the 2025 Australian Open. She humorously added that she'd love to avoid Caroline Garcia, who has beaten her twice this year.

"My goal now, I think to be seeded in Australia," the four-time Grand Slam champion said. "I would really love that. I would love to avoid Caroline Garcia (smiling). Yeah, just being seeded. But not putting too much pressure on myself. I'm just trying to take it day by day."

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Naomi Osaka on Patrick Mouratoglou: "The fact that he was Serena Williams' coach made me want to avoid him"

Naomi Osaka pictured with Patrick Mouratoglou at the 2024 China Open | Image Source: Getty

In the same press conference, Naomi Osaka opened up about how her coaching relationship with Patrick Mouratoglou began. She revealed that because the Frenchman had previously coached the legendary Serena Williams, she initially "avoided" him, thinking he was out of her reach.

"The fact that he was Serena's coach for me made me want to avoid him just because his persona is so big. Like, this isn't rude because I found out it's not true," Osaka said.

"I didn't know - this sounds so bad - I didn't know if he was a good coach or he coached Serena. Does that make sense? I'm like, I'm just going to do my own thing," she added.

The 26-year-old explained how her perspective changed after meeting Mouratoglou and talking to him. Although she admitted to feeling a little "nervous" around him at first, she shared that she's becoming more comfortable with him gradually.

"Then I met him, talked to him, worked with him on the court. He absolutely is a really good coach. I'm really glad that he's, I guess, taking this project on, as well," Naomi Osaka said.

"I would say I'm still a little nervous around him. I think I do need a lot more time to spend together with him. I'm getting a little more comfortable day by day," she added.

The Japanese is set to face 21st seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round of the China Open on September 27.