• Thursday, October 10, 2024
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Naomi Osaka dumps coach after early U.S Open exit

Naomi-Osaka

Naomi Osaka

Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka has parted ways with her coach, Wim Fissette, following her early exit from the U.S. Open 2024.

Osaka took to her Instagram page to announce the decision, sharing a picture with Fissette and captioning it, “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.” Under Fissette’s guidance, Osaka claimed two Grand Slam titles.

Reflecting on her recent performances, Osaka admitted, “It’s been a little difficult because obviously I can only gauge how I’m doing by results. I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it’s a little rough. I feel like I’m working way harder than I’ve ever worked in my life, so it needs to turn into something.”

Fissette rejoined Osaka in January 2024, after her return to tennis following the birth of her daughter in July 2023. However, despite her efforts, Osaka reached the quarter-finals in only two of the 16 tournaments since her comeback. She has struggled to progress past the second round in her last four Grand Slam appearances and has slipped to the 75th position in the WTA rankings.

Read also: Meet 10 ten richest tennis players worth $246m combined in 2024

Osaka’s disappointing US Open 2024 campaign ended in the second round, where she was defeated 3-6, 6-7 (5-7) by No. 19 seed Karolina Muchova at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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