A sudden twist can change a player’s fate altogether! Naomi Osaka entered the China Open with renewed confidence and her new coach, Patrick Mouratoglou,  by her side. But a back injury halted her pace in the round-of-16 match against Coco Gauff, and she ultimately handed over the victory to Gauff. Reflecting on this unfortunate turn of events, Serena Williams‘ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, sympathized with Osaka by sharing her similar experience on-court!

Naomi Osaka easily won the first set 6-3 against the 20-year-old, hinting at the possibility of winning the match. Nevertheless, Gauff fought back in the second set, leading it by two points, 6-4. However, as the match propelled towards its third deciding set, at 1-1, Osaka announced she would retire after suffering from a lower back injury, and failed to qualify for her third QF match this season. Regarding her overall performance in the match, Rennae Stubbs had something to say on the “The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’s” October 1st episode. 

Sharing how initially the match looked in favor of Osaka as Gauff struggled with her second serve, Stubbs said, “But I just wonder how much of a bother the back was for Naomi Osaka. Because that’s the reason that she pulled out. And I could see, Caitlin (co-host)… it looked like it’s gonna be Naomi’s match in straight sets. I could tell that she wasn’t comfortable. And I wasn’t sure if it was the back.”

When the co-host asked her if she suspected anything (any injury) owing to Osaka’s serve, Stubbs responded, “I saw her start serving a lot to the forehand and that’s not what you want to serve with Coco. But every now and again Naomi likes to bob that one to the backhand because I’ve seen that’s her favorite serve..And she wasn’t doing that. Referring to a similar injury that she sustained during her nine years of tennis career, the 53-year-old former player added, “And I was wondering if it was the stomach muscle strain. Because I have pulled my stomach muscle a couple of times. It’s your abs.”

Stubbs further emphasized how Osaka was looking “very uncomfortable and not into the match,” which solidified her suspicion of having an injury. As Stubbs mentioned, Osaka’s pain was palpable during the second set and the changeover after that. Therefore, Osaka, who has been struggling with her form this year after returning to action in January (after an 18-month maternity leave), had to endure another setback. Following the match, Naomi Osaka also shared some updates on her injury.

Naomi Osaka’s health update after China Open misery! 

Naomi Osaka’s journey into the China Open came with a major shakeup—she parted ways with her longtime coach, Wim Fissette, the man who guided her to two of her four Grand Slam titles. Instead, Osaka decided to team up with Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ former coach. Despite the change, Osaka embraced the uncertainty with optimism, stating she was “grateful” Mouratoglou “took on this project.” For Osaka, there were to be no regrets—just forward momentum.

Yet, her magic didn’t quite spark in Beijing. After a disappointing second-round exit at the US Open, Osaka was hopeful, but her performance at the China Open wasn’t what she hoped for. The former World No. 1, however, didn’t let the setback steal her spirit. On Instagram, Osaka shared her struggles in a candid, lighthearted way: “So I locked my back up during practice earlier and honestly wasn’t sure if I could even play but I just wanted to try, unfortunately, things just got progressively worse during the match. Totally worth it though lol.”

Despite the tough outcome, Osaka took a moment to thank her fans, showing her gratitude for their support and expressing her joy at competing. The new partnership with Mouratoglou may not have yielded immediate results, but Osaka is determined to stay the course, learning from every twist and turn along the way. As she moves forward, her fans are waiting eagerly—hoping to see her back on the court with that unmistakable Osaka charm, ready to conquer the season with her form intact.