"Wasn't personal at all" - Naomi Osaka clarifies hiring "famous" Patrick Mouratoglou and having "no regrets" after sacking Wim Fissette

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka recently shared her thoughts after hiring French coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, following her split with Wim Fissette. Notably, Osaka re-hired Fissette after her return to the sport following a long break to focus on motherhood as she gave birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023.

Osaka’s last outing with Fissette was during the 2024 US Open where she couldn’t move past the challenge of Karolina Muchova in the second round. The Czech athlete prevailed over the two-time US Open champion by 6-3, 7-6(5), but eventually fell to Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.

Following her second-round exit in the US Open, Osaka decided to part ways with Fissette and announced it to her followers via her Instagram story. Since then, she has trained under Mouratoglou, renowned for his work with Serena Williams from 2012 to 2022.

On September 25, Naomi Osaka and her coach Patrick Mouratoglou celebrated their first win as a duo after her opening match at the WTA 1000 China Open, defeating Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Recently, Osaka spoke about her coaching change and partnership with Mouratoglou, saying that the change wasn’t personal (via WTA and DAZN):

“The coaching change wasn’t personal at all. I just feel like for me, I’d rather try everything & not have any regrets. That’s kind of what that was. Patrick, he’s very famous & I would say he brings a lot to my game. I think in the short time we’ve worked together, I feel like I’ve learned a lot,” she said.

Wim Fissette, known for coaching stars like Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep, and Angelique Kerber, teamed up with Osaka in 2019.

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A look into Naomi Osaka’s career under Wim Fissette

Wim Fissette (L) and Naomi Osaka (R) at the 2021 French Open Tennis Tournament (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

During her initial partnership with Wim Fissette which lasted till the summer of 2022, Naomi Osaka added two more Major singles titles under her belt by winning the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open.

After the end of their first stint together, Fissette took to his Instagram to express his gratitude.

“It has been a privilege to coach Naomi since 2019 and see her grow into the Champion she has become. She has inspired a whole new generation to fall in love with the game & to speak up for what they believe in and it’s been incredible to play a part in that journey.”

However, their second stint didn’t fare well as Osaka reached the quarterfinals only twice in the 16 tournaments she played after reuniting with Fissette in the summer of 2023.