"A new coach for one": Brad Gilbert links Naomi Osaka's coaching change to her resurgent form at Canadian Open

Former Coco Gauff's coach Brad Gilbert believes that Naomi Osaka's separation from coach Patrick Mouratoglou was key to the four-time Grand Slam champion returning to a final. The Japanese star reached her first WTA 1000 final in more than three years, just a few days after her separation from the French coach was confirmed.

Osaka announced her partnership with Mouratoglou back in October 2024. The Frenchman is one of the most renowned coaches today, having worked with Serena Williams on 10 of the American's Grand Slam titles, in addition to collaborations with players like Grigor Dimitrov, Simona Halep, and Holger Rune.

However, the partnership ended abruptly. While Osaka seemed to have found some stability with Mouratoglou, the results did not materialize, with her falling in the third round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, in addition to a first-round exit at the French Open. The Japanese star returned to the top 50 but was not making an impact at the top of the rankings.

In the midst of the Canadian Open, Osaka announced her split with Mouratoglou, expressing her best wishes to the French coach who accompanied her for the last 10 months. “Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I’ve ever met and I’m sure I’ll see you around,” she wrote in a statement on her social media.

Shortly after, it was learned that Osaka had contacted the Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, agreeing to a week-long trial working together, precisely this last week in Montreal. The results came immediately, with Osaka reaching her first WTA 1000 final since the Miami Open in 2022, where she was defeated by Iga Swiatek.

Osaka's improved level after the separation from Mouratoglou is no coincidence for Brad Gilbert, the legendary American coach who has worked with tennis players like Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Andy Murray. The American recently worked with Coco Gauff, so he has also been close to the WTA Tour recently. Gilbert took to social media to comment on Osaka's move to the Montreal final. According to the coach and former world No. 4, saving match points against Liudmila Samsonova in the second round gave the 27-year-old Japanese star a boost.

"Seems like quite some time ago Double Osaka saved a few match points 2nd rd, been house money 💰 since and totally discovered her game and rolling last few opponents,” he posted on his X account.

A user on social media responded to the post asking, “What do you think is working for her now?”

The 63-year-old coach responded to the comment: "A new coach for one ☝️ and got her confidence back."

Osaka has been all joy after a remarkable week in Montreal. In addition to the win against Samsonova, she defeated rivals like Jelena Ostapenko (22nd), Elina Svitolina (10th), and Clara Tauson (16th) on her way. She secured a significant jump in the rankings of 25 positions to No. 24 in the live rankings, while she could reach No. 21 if she wins the title.

The ranking this time is much more than a number, as it will mean she enters the US Open as a seeded player, something she has not achieved in a Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian Open—when she was the 13th seed in the tournament she was defending. Since then, she has been absent from five Grand Slam main draws and has accessed five others as an unseeded player.

This time, Osaka will be able to avoid rivals from the top 32 during at least the first two rounds, which will give her a couple of matches to get into a rhythm before facing the better-ranked players. It remains to be seen how much this boost in her ranking can benefit Osaka and if she can make an impact in a Grand Slam with a clearer path.

The four-time major champion will surely be one of the players to watch at the US Open, considering that she already won the title there in 2018 and 2020 and that she will arrive in her best state of confidence in several years.