Written by Alberto Amalfi | @Itenisi_Manje | Saturday, September 14, 2024
Photo credit: Naomi Osaka Instagram
A productive partnership has come to an end.
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka announced that he has parted ways with his longtime coach Wim Fissette on a social media site.
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“4 years, 2 Slams and many memories,” Osaka wrote on Instagram stories. “Thank you Wim for being a great coach and a great person. I wish you all the best.”
Fissette initially coached Osaka from 2019 to July 2022.
The pair reunited late last year as Osaka ramped up her training after giving birth to a daughter, Shai, in July 2023.
Although Osaka held match points and nearly edged out No. 1 Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros, she has struggled at times to maintain consistency in her first full season since becoming a mother.
In an Instagram post, Fissette praised Osaka as “a champion in many ways.”
“I started coaching Naomi in 2019, and it was really fun,” Fissette said. “The biggest thing is to be a part of the journey back, to see her grow as a person, an athlete and now a mother. She is a champion in many ways. We started from zero and improved week by week. In the 15 years I have been on tour, this has been one of my ways. The best years of working together with amazing people for every defeat, we worked harder and better and grew more.
“We were very close to success. If you do the right things and you keep hearing from your peers that you are on the right path, it’s hard not to get it. As a coach, you keep trusting the system, you know that the lessons are learned. You are close to the trophies.
“After the US Open, Naomi decided to move forward with a new path. I accepted it knowing that we close this runner-up with good memories and gratitude for building a path for her to return.”
