In some ways it’s a surprise and in some ways it all makes sense.
High profile coach and academy owner Patrick Mouratoglou will coach fading former superstar Naomi Osaka. The two have already begun working together in Los Angeles where the French figure was spotted on court with Osaka on the UCLA campus tennis courts.
Osaka has struggled to re-find her world’s best form in recent years. The former world no. 1 and Grand Slam champion has been plagued by inconsistency and journeywoman caliber results for the past two years.
Mouratoglou has made a name for himself by hitching his wagon to several high profile players in the past – Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Simona Halep – but he has not been able to take any of those players to the “next level.”
So it’s intrigiuing that such a famous coach continues to put himself into position to coach elite players. You have to wonder why Mouratoglou never reaches out to try to help a lower ranked, lesser known player?
Perhaps working with lower ranked, anonymous players isn’t the best way to promote himself or his coaching academy empire which is expanding to Florida in the near future.
It will be interesting to see if the Osaka-Mouratoglou collaboration will last beyond October or November. Or if Mouratoglou can find the magic touch to awaken one of the finest, most dynamic talents the WTA Tour has seen in many years.
Naomi Osaka · Patrick Mouratoglou
