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Naomi Osaka opened up about her initial reservations over hiring tennis legend Serena Wiliams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou. In other news, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz embraced Chinese culture in traditional outfits during the China Open outing.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic commended Marin Cilics for breaking his three-year title dry spell with the Hangzhou Open victory. Zheng Qinwen made a shocking admission about not knowing the qualification criteria for the WTA Finals.
Also, Serena Williams adorably attempted to cuddle baby Adira River despite the one-year-old’s resistance.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Naomi Osaka discusses initial doubts about teaming up with Serena Williams’ ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou
Naomi Osaka admitted she was initially reluctant to hire Patrick Mouratoglou, citing his previous role as Serena Williams' coach. Mouratoglou’s successful decade-long partnership with the American tennis legend, from 2012 to 2022, resulted in 10 Grand Slam titles.
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Speaking at the 2024 China Open, the Japanese tennis star discussed the coaching transition, revealing she was initially hesitant to bring in the French tennis coach due to his "big" personality.
"I think 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, but I didn't know if he was a good coach or he coached Serena," Osaka said (via WTA).
However, after conversations and working with him, Osaka expressed her gratitude that the French coach accepted the role.
"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 taking this project on, as well," she said.
Osaka had recently parted ways with Wim Fissette, her coach during two of her four Grand Slam victories. Following a second-round exit at the 2024 US Open, Osaka disclosed that she and Fissette, who coached her from 2019 to 2022 and again after her maternity leave, had split.
The Japanese tennis star's 2024 season had been underwhelming, with only two quarterfinal appearances in 16 tournaments. In light of these struggles, Osaka opted to move on from Fissette and has now teamed up with Mouratoglou in hopes of turning her season around.
Naomi Osaka kicked off her China Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lucia Bronzetti in the first round. The four-time Grand Slam champion will take on 21st seed Yulia Putintseva on September 27.
Read More: Naomi Osaka acknowledges initial hesitation against hiring Patrick Mouratoglou
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz shine in traditional Chinese attire during the China Open outing
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz recently immersed themselves in Chinese culture during their China Open outing, visiting the Forbidden City dressed in traditional attire.
This marks the second appearance for both Alcaraz and Gauff in Beijing. During their debut last year, they reached the semifinals before being defeated by Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, respectively.
Check out the pictures and videos from the outing here:
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz will take on Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the Beijing opener, while fourth seed Coco Gauff received a bye into the second round where she will face Clara Burel.
Read More: Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz show off traditional Chinese outfits at China Open outing
Tennis icon Novak Djokovic lauds Marin Cilic for winning the 2024 Hangzhou Open
Novak Djokovic praised Marin Cilic for breaking his three-year title drought with the 2024 Hangzhou Open victory. Cilic, who entered the tournament ranked 777, became one of the lowest-ranked players to win an ATP title by defeating local favorite Zhang Zhizhen 7-6(5), 7-6(5) in the final.
The Serbian tennis icon shared a picture of Cilic holding the trophy on his Instagram story and commended the Croatian’s performance at the ATP 250 event.
"Bravo caree," Djokovic wrote.
Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic have faced each other 21 times on the ATP Tour, with the former leading the head-to-head record 19-2. Cilic’s two victories came in the 2016 Paris Masters and the 2018 cinch championships in Queen’s Club, London.
Zheng Qinwen reveals being unaware of her WTA Finals qualification chances
Zheng Qinwen admitted she was unaware of her WTA Finals qualification situation when she skipped several events earlier in the year. Currently ranked ninth in the WTA Race to Riyadh with 3,070 points, Zheng is just outside the qualification zone.
In a recent interview ahead of the China Open, Zheng reflected on her runner-up finish at the Australian Open and acknowledged that she missed key tournaments afterward without realizing the impact on her WTA Finals chances.
"It’s really funny I made the final of Australian Open but after that I didn’t take some tournaments seriously & didn’t get enough points. Judging from the points I have, it’s difficult for me to make the finals this year," Zheng Qinwen said (translated from Mandarin).
The Chinese tennis star mentioned that she voiced her frustrations to her team but understands there's little she can do now, aside from performing her best in the upcoming events.
"I even complained to the team for not telling me earlier about the qualification of the WTA Finals. Now I feel the pressure but I cannot do anything. All I can do is give my best in the competitions," she added.
Fifth seed and home favorite Zheng Qinwen received a bye into the second round where she will take on either Kimberly Birrell or Kamilla Rakhimova on September 27.
Read more: Zheng Qinwen makes surprising revelation about not knowing WTA Finals qualification possibility
Tennis legend Serena Williams adorably attempts to cuddle baby Adira River as the latter playfully resists
Serena Williams made an adorable attempt to cuddle her one-year-old daughter, Adira River, but the little one wasn’t too keen on the idea.
In a video shared on Instagram, the American tennis legend was seen lying on a rug, encouraging Adira to move closer to her. After the toddler complied, Williams hugged her tightly and playfully said, "Stop fighting" in a raspy voice. However, Adira soon wriggled free, prompting Williams to smile wryly. Moments later, the playful one-year-old climbed back onto her mother.
Watch the video here:
Adira River Ohanian, born on August 15, 2023, is the second daughter of Serena and her husband, Alexis Ohanian.
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