Former World No.1 Naomi Osaka has struggled to maintain consistent results after returning from maternity leave, but the Japanese superstar is getting much closer to her Grand Slam winning form, according to her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.
The four-time Grand Slam champion took some time off to give birth to her daughter, Shai, in 2023. Osaka would return to professional tennis at the start of the 2024 season. Although she looked competitive at times, the two-time US Open champion has failed to rediscover the form that saw her lift several titles on the WTA Tour.
Mouratoglou believes Osaka has made tremendous progress
The French coach, who previously worked with the likes of WTA legend Serena Williams and former World No.1 Simona Halep, has a lot of faith in his new mentee. Osaka reached the final at the ASB Classic in January, retiring mid-match due to injury after winning the first set. However, she would finally get her hands on a title, winning the WTA 125K event in Saint Malo in May.
Mouratoglou has openly stated how much he admires Osaka, which has received a mixed reaction from some in the tennis community. However, the 55-year old believes a coach is capable of expressing admiration for his student, without breaching the student-teacher relationship.
"I think it's absolutely necessary to have this admiration for your player because the player is going to feel it every second," said Mouratoglou in a clip posted on social media. "I don't think it's contradictory to be admiring of your player and to be in a position of authority at the same time. I think you can do both. I would never work with a player if I didn't admire that player.
"If you look at Naomi who I work with, I admire her a lot. I think she's an incredible player. When I watch her play, I have an incredible feeling of pleasure, because I love her game. And I think it's very important. And it doesn't take away authority.
"If you look at Naomi who I work with, I admire her a lot. I think she's an incredible player. When I watch her play, I have an incredible feeling of pleasure, because I love her game. And I think it's very important. And it doesn't take away authority.
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"I know we're not that far. I know the results are not great as we expect them to be, but I see the progress. It's not only the progress on the court, it's a lot of things. She was very much injured in the past but she's done a great job to remain injury free. And I can see how much she's progressed on the physical side."
After an impressive round of 16 showing at the Bad Homburg Open, Osaka has her sights set on the Wimbledon Championships, which begin next week.
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