‘I Needed Different Energy’- Former US Open Champion Naomi Osaka Details Why She Parted Ways With Long Time Coach

Tennis is rightly called the game of ups and downs. The proof of which is the ongoing season of Naomi Osaka. Once a World No.1, Naomi Osaka has been suffering from her drop in form since the start of the 2022 season. Now, after her recovery from the Achilles injury that kept her out of Wimbledon, the Japanese star has decided to split with her long-time coach, Wim Fissette.

Weeks ago, Fissette took to his Instagram handle, first announcing the split. Working together for the past two years, Osaka won two of her four grand slams under Fissette’s guidance. Heading for her first tournament without the Belgian coach in two years, Osaka opened up about the reason behind the much-talked-about split.

Naomi Osaka, all praise for Wim Fissette

After working with her father for a few years, Osaka started chose to team up with Fissette towards the end of 2019. Already at her peak, Osaka went on to win the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian open. Apart from the wins, she also reached the finals of a couple of tournaments. Considering the successful partnership, it is needless to say that the two had a quality time together.

Talking to media, Naomi Osaka started by asserting, “It was really good times with Wim and he’s a really amazing coach.” Adding to it, she further said, “We didn’t part on bad terms.”

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Since her startling withdrawal from last year’s Roland Garros, Naomi Osaka has been suffering from a poor run of form on the tour. An abdominal injury, a mental breakdown, and tendinitis in Achilles’ tendon became some of the major reasons behind her drastic fall in ranking; she is currently ranked 41 in the world.

Opening up further about the split, she said, “I just felt I needed different energy, and at the same time, he’s a very ambitious guy.” “I was getting injured and I’m sure he would have wanted to go to Wimbledon,” she further added.

Even though she started by admitting that she didn’t split with Fissette on bad terms, she stated it again for further confirmation. “So it was two different mindsets, I would say. But he’s a really cool guy still. So confirming that there were no bad things happening,” she said.

Osaka playing her first tournament without Fissette

Following a first-round loss at the 2022 French Open, Osaka took some time off the court to recover from tendinitis on her left Achilles. After being out for just over two months, Osaka has finally made a comeback to the tour. Aiming for a strong showing at the upcoming US Open, the 4-time Grand Slam champion is currently playing in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.

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Being in decent form, the Japanese star kicked off her campaign with a first-round win over China’s Qinwen Zheng in three sets. Moving ahead, she set up a mouthwatering clash with the 6th seed Coco Gauff in the second round.