“Hard for Him”- Introverted Naomi Osaka Opens Up About Breaking the Ice With Serena Williams’ Ex-Coach

Here’s a rewritten version with a smoother flow and enhanced readability:

Naomi Osaka Opens Up About Transitioning to Patrick Mouratoglou’s Coaching Style

Naomi Osaka admitted she wasn’t sure if she would get along with Patrick Mouratoglou when she first started working with him. The shift was significant—after an early US Open exit, she parted ways with Wim Fissette, the strategic mastermind behind her 2020 and 2021 Grand Slam titles. Enter Mouratoglou, the charismatic former coach of Serena Williams.

In sports, the “other guy” theory often applies—when one approach falters, a contrasting style takes over. Initially wary, Osaka has since embraced Mouratoglou’s dynamic coaching. Recently, she opened up about how he is shaping her game one step at a time.

Osaka’s journey with Mouratoglou began with a respectable run to the fourth round at the China Open, followed by a finalist finish at the ASB Classic, where she had to retire due to injury despite winning the first set. At the Australian Open, she impressed early but was forced to withdraw in the third round due to recurring abdominal pain. A first-round exit at Indian Wells raised concerns, but she regained her footing with a confidence-boosting opening-round win in Miami.

Speaking after her victory in Miami, Osaka reflected on her evolving relationship with Mouratoglou.

“He is a really good coach. Really interesting guy. I think in the beginning, I didn’t know… I’m quite introverted, so it’s really hard to get me to talk. And that was a bit hard for him. But now, our dynamic is a lot better, and hopefully, we can get a lot more matches in,” she shared with Tennis Channel.

Turning Setbacks Into Strength

Osaka was initially hesitant about choosing Mouratoglou as her new coach, mainly because of his high-profile reputation as Serena Williams’ longtime mentor.

“I think the fact that he was Serena’s coach made me want to avoid him, just because his persona is so big. Like, this isn’t rude because I found out it’s not true, but I didn’t know if he was a good coach or if he just coached Serena. 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,” Osaka previously admitted.

Mouratoglou’s Coaching Career Highlights:

• Started coaching 16-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, guiding her to the WTA top 30 in 2007.
• Coached Serena Williams from 2012 to 2022, helping her win:
  • Three Wimbledon titles (2012, 2013, 2015).
  • Olympic gold (2012).
  • Three US Open titles (2012, 2013, 2014).
  • Two French Open titles (2013, 2015).
  • Two Australian Open titles (2015, 2017).
  • Three consecutive WTA Finals titles (2012-2014).
  • Helped Williams reclaim the World No. 1 ranking.
• Coached Holger Rune to his first Masters 1000 title at the 2022 Paris Masters, where he defeated Novak Djokovic.

With Mouratoglou’s expertise, Osaka is refining her game while working to overcome injury setbacks.

“I Was Going to Run Into Every Corner”—Osaka’s Determination at the Miami Open

Just a week after apologizing to fans for what she called “the worst match” of her career at Indian Wells, Osaka made a strong comeback in Miami. Following her straight-sets loss to Camila Osorio, she took a proactive approach by heading to Miami early for a dedicated training block.

Against Ukraine’s Katarina Starodubtseva, Osaka displayed improved movement and shot-making, firing 27 winners and 10 aces while controlling key moments of the match.

“I was going to run into every corner if I had to, and we were going to have to play for three hours if she was going to beat me. Definitely, it was a little bit of a letdown to be injured right at the start of the season, especially when I thought I was playing pretty well. I just want to play with the big dogs so bad. I see everyone playing so well, and I want to do the same,” she said after the match.

Now, Osaka is set to face 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with their head-to-head record tied at 1-1. Can she continue her resurgence and advance further?