Naomi Osaka’s rumoured coaching partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou could be a “great association” according to pundit Alize Lim.
Former world No 1 and four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka recently announced her split with long-time coaching Wim Fissette, in the aftermath of her second round exit at the US Open.
Fissette helped guide Osaka to the 2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open titles but she has struggled to build momentum since returning post-maternity leave, with a 19-16 record for the season.
The 26-year-old has quickly been spotted with Mouratoglou since her split from Fissette, with the Frenchman best known for his hugely successful partnership with Serena Williams.
Speaking to the Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast, Lim – a former Mouratoglou Academy product – admitted she was not too surprised by Osaka’s decision to switch coaches.
And, she predicted that a potential partnership with Mouratoglou could well be a success.
“I was not surprised because, despite the fact she was coming back from motherhood, we knew how high her goals were,” said Lim.
“For sure, she’s 100% disappointed and 100% wants to go higher quickly. She has the weapons and she has the level to go back there – remember her match against Iga Swiatek at the French Open.
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“She knows more than us. She can feel it inside and I feel it would be a great association with Patrick Mouratoglou, to be honest.
“It’s so exciting to watch her play. She would bring so much to women’s tennis if she could get back to that level.
“It will be interesting to see what he does tactically with her but also psychologically. I think his strength is to really help the player believe in themselves.
“This what she needs now, and that’s life; if the sparks happen, and if there’s chemistry between two people, you cannot know before trying.”
The news of a potential partnership between the two comes ahead of the Asian swing, which is set to be a busy spell for the Japanese star.
Osaka has received a wildcard into the China Open, which begins next week, and will then likely play at the Wuhan Open from October 7th.
That will then be followed by a homecoming in Japan, with the former world No 1 set to play at the Japan Open in Osaka and the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo later in the month.
Osaka is currently ranked 76th in the WTA Rankings and will be looking to establish herself as high up the rankings as possible ahead of the 2025 season.
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