The former coach of Angelique Kerber led the Japanese player to two Grand Slam titles
Former world number one Naomi Osaka is relying on a new coach on her way back to her old class. The 26-year-old Japanese player, whose comeback after her maternity leave is not going according to plan, announced that she is parting ways with her previous coach Wim Fissette. Osaka won two of her four Grand Slam tournaments with the Belgian, who once coached Angelique Kerber to victory at Wimbledon in 2018.
“Four years, two Slams and many memories,” she wrote on Instagram: ”Thank you Wim for being a great coach and an even greater person. I wish you all the best. “
A successful duo
Osaka had worked with Fissette (44) from 2019 to 2022 and after the birth of her daughter last year. The titles at the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open were the duo’s greatest successes, which they were unable to build on this year. Osaka did not make it past the second round at the four Grand Slam tournaments. She lost to Kerber at the start of the Olympic Games in Paris.
“I feel like I’m working a lot harder than I ever have in my life, so something has to come out of it,” she said after her recent exit in New York, adding. “Okay, it doesn’t have to happen, but I think it will.”
It was not initially clear who Osaka would be working with in the future. She was last seen on court with top French coach Patrick Mouratoglou. He once coached Osaka’s idol Serena Williams to several Grand Slam titles.
