Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka recently announced her split with coach Patrick Mouratoglou after a series of inconsistent results. Could this change mark a fresh start in her career?

By Jon Wertheim | Updated 2 hours ago

Naomi Osaka has started working with Tomasz Wiktorowski following her departure from Mouratoglou.

In this week’s podcast, featuring special guest Iga Świątek, we discuss Osaka’s current situation.

Since beginning her partnership with Mouratoglou at last year’s US Open, Osaka has shown flashes of strong play but hasn’t secured major wins. Recently, she lost to Emma Raducanu in Washington, D.C.—a match where Mouratoglou was absent. Now ranked 49th, Osaka holds a 21-11 record for 2025.

While her overall record is respectable, victories over top-20 opponents have been scarce, and she’s lost several close matches. At 27 years old, a mother, and without financial pressure, Osaka is aiming for more than just early-round appearances.

Her new coach, Wiktorowski—who has also coached Świątek and Radwańska—is focused on boosting her confidence, tactics, and movement. However, Osaka’s serve remains a powerful weapon.

Debate: Was Helen Wills the Greatest Female Tennis Player Ever?

We also touch on the close race between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for ATP titles, introducing the concept of the “Tournament Quality Index” (TQI), which weights titles based on tournament prestige and points awarded. Using TQI, Djokovic currently leads Federer in both quality and quantity of titles.

Other Season Highlights

• Taylor Fritz deserves praise for his sportsmanship at the Citi Open in Washington, notably thanking ballkids for handling his used towels—a rare gesture in pro tennis.
• Climate change is impacting the tennis calendar, with extreme heat forcing adaptations like nighttime matches in some tournaments.

Controversy in Tennis Governance

Criticism surrounds the slow pace of reforms in tennis governance and the PTPA’s recent lawsuit challenging the current system. The key issue remains the lack of unity among players, weakening their push for faster change.

Conclusion

Tennis is at a crossroads both on and off the court. Naomi Osaka’s coaching change signals a search for renewal, while governance issues and environmental challenges present ongoing obstacles for the sport’s future.