Naomi Osaka confesses why she was hesitant to hire Serena Williams' ex-coach

09/25/2024 11:55 AM

Naomi Osaka admitted that she was initially hesitant to hire Patrick Mouratoglou as her coach because she wondered how it would all look if she worked with such "a big persona" but then got to know him a bit and realized that it was probably worth giving a shot. 

Following a disappointing summer on hard courts for which the Japanese had big hopes, she decided to go her separate ways with Wim Fissette. After making that decision, the former world No. 1 didn't wait for too long to find a new coach as she turned to Serena Williams' former long-time coach. 

On Wednesday, their partnership got off to an outstanding start after Osaka ousted Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 6-2 in the Beijing first round. Although the 26-year-old didn't go a single tournament without a coach, adding the French coach to her team wasn't as easy a decision as some thought.

In the past, Mouratoglou worked with Williams for 10 years - and during their time together - the American tennis icon won 10 of her 23 Grand Slams. 

"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. 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," the Japanese shared following her opening win in Beijing. 

Further explaining her decision to start working with Mouratoglou, the 26-year-old explained that she is at the stage of her life where she would rather try what she wants than skip on it and later think about what could have been. Also, she noted that she is hoping this collaboration ends up being a long-term one because she is not interested in doing anything short-term anymore. 

"I like the way he coaches. I think it's going to be really interesting. I think I'm at a stage in my life that I don't want to have regrets. I'd rather pull the trigger on something and I don't want to say 'fail', but I feel like I really need to learn as much as possible in this stage of my career. Patrick seemed like the guy with I guess the information that I wanted to learn from. I try not to get into relationships with people for short-term. I try to think of it as a long-term commitment. I like the way he coaches. I think it's going to be really interesting," Osaka noted.

Even though the two-time Australian Open champion and Mouratoglou have been working together for at least 10 days, the Japanese confessed that she is still feeling a bit shy around him.

"I kind of look to the floor when he looks at me. 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 admitted. 

After two and a half years of a very successful partnership that landed two Grand Slams, the Japanese ended her first stint with Fissette in the summer of 2022. But just before launching her post-pregnancy comeback, the former world No. 1 decided to hit up the Belgian coach and ask him if he was interested in working wth her again. 

Unfortunately for both sides, the 26-year-old didn't manage to rediscover her old game through the first nine months of this season and it resulted in Fissette being sacked. Addressing that, Osaka underlined that it was nothing personal but she just felt it was time for a chance. 

“The coaching change wasn’t personal at all. I just feel like for me, I’d rather try everything and not have any regrets. That’s kind of what that was. Patrick, he’s very famous and 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 explained.

Meanwhile, the four-time Major winner was playing her first match in Beijing since winning the title in 2019 after beating Ashleigh Barty in the final. In her on-court interview, she expressed hope to "lift a a trophy again soon."

Also, Osaka underlined that she is excited about the rest of the Asian swing.

"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," the former world No. 1.

Osaka plays against Yulia Putintseva in the Beijing second round.