After a 10-month collaboration that ended just before the Canadian Open, Patrick Mouratoglou has spoken candidly about his time coaching Naomi Osaka. The four-time Grand Slam champion, now enjoying her best run of the season in Montreal, has transitioned to working with Tomasz Wiktorowski as she eyes a return to tennis’ elite. Mouratoglou, renowned for his success with Serena Williams, offered both praise and a frank assessment of what was missing in their partnership.
A partnership marked by promise and challenges
When Naomi Osaka teamed up with Patrick Mouratoglou last year, the pairing carried the weight of high expectations. Mouratoglou brought a storied track record, having guided Serena Williams to multiple majors, while Osaka was aiming to reignite her career after a long title drought. Yet over 10 months, their journey was marked by uneven results.
Injuries interrupted Osaka’s momentum, most notably an abdominal issue that forced her to retire in the final of her first WTA Tour event of the year. She managed to claim a WTA 125 title in France—her first as a mother—but her Grand Slam performances plateaued in the early rounds. Mouratoglou acknowledged that while Osaka’s skill was unquestionable, they struggled to fully restore her competitive edge.
What Mouratoglou says was missing
For Mouratoglou, the central challenge wasn’t Osaka’s physical readiness or shot-making ability—it was her match-day competitiveness. “I think she’s a great competitor,” he explained, “but at that time she was not as good as a competitor as I think she can be and has been in the past. And this is the thing that we didn’t solve.”
He admitted that time was not on their side. In elite sport, adjustments must happen quickly, and despite progress, their window closed before those mental gears could fully click back into place. Still, he expressed no regret and voiced confidence that Osaka is “ready to do great results right now” if she finds the right spark with her new team.
The mental edge in tennis
Mouratoglou’s recent book, Champion Mindset, underscores his belief in the mental dimension of tennis as the sport’s defining factor. He considers himself a problem-solver across the technical, physical, and psychological realms, but concedes his strength may lie in the mental game.
“The mental is a huge part of that sport, probably the most important part,” he said. “Every player will bring you different problematics… if they’re not already No. 1, it means you have to help them solve those things.” This approach has shaped his philosophy: a coach must be versatile enough to address any weakness, whether it’s rooted in technique, conditioning, or mindset.
Osaka’s next chapter with Tomasz Wiktorowski
Following her split from Mouratoglou, Osaka has begun working with Tomasz Wiktorowski, celebrated for guiding Iga Świątek to four major titles. Known for his direct style, Wiktorowski has quickly made an impression on Osaka, whose self-confessed tendency for scattered thoughts benefits from his clarity.
As she competes in Montreal, Osaka measures success by both tangible and intangible markers. While health and happiness rank highly, her ambitions remain lofty: a return to the top 10 and more Grand Slam triumphs. For now, she is focusing on “mini goals” that could pave the way to bigger victories—a mindset that suggests both resilience and a long-term vision for her comeback.
