Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has announced that she is ending her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette, as revealed on her Instagram stories on Friday.
“4 years, 2 Slams and a whole lot of memories. Thanks Wim for being a great coach and an even greater person. Wishing you all the best.”
Fissette had two periods of coaching Osaka, initially from 2019 through mid-2022 and then again starting last year as Osaka made her comeback to tennis after the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023.
Under Fissette’s guidance, Osaka won the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open, and also reached the finals of the 2020 Cincinnati Open and the 2022 Miami Open. However, since returning to the WTA Tour in January, the four-time Grand Slam champion has faced challenges, including a first-round exit at the US Open last month where she only managed to secure her first win over a top-10 player in four years.
Naomi Osaka, who has dropped to 75th in the world rankings, expressed some frustration despite feeling improved physically. “It’s been a little difficult because obviously I can only gauge how I’m doing by results,” she said after falling to Muchova. “I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it’s a little rough,” added Osaka,
Osaka remains optimistic about her future and is focused on continuing her hard work.